It is not stress that kills us, but our reaction to it. When juggling a busy schedule, it is best to tackle things one at a time rather than obsessing over everything you have on your plate.
As college students we are constantly concerned with the amount of credits we have to take, assignment deadlines, readings, and quizzes. We allow our course syllabi to shape our lives for the next semester. We sometimes stress about the stress that we know is coming along with the new semester.
One great way to juggle a busy schedule is to get organized. It is a simple yet beneficial way to take control of everything on your plate. Planners are the perfect solution for that. Jot down what needs to be done and when, and tackle one thing at a time. In doing so, it is also helpful to prioritize your tasks so that important things are taken care of first. There is nothing quite better than the feeling of checking tasks off of your to do list.
A Senior Communication student, Kayla Cardona stays organized to balance her last semester and working full-time. “It’s extremely important for me to have everything mentally sorted to meet all my deadlines. I am pretty stressed with my busy schedule, so going to the gym is a great way to block out the world eliminate some of that stress,” said Cardona.
Another way to handle a busy schedule is to allocate specific times for certain tasks, for example homework, working out, and seeing friends.
Kayla Greiss, a freshman social work student said, “I’m still getting used to my schedule with classes and work three times a week but I organize my week in a planner and set aside certain times a day for my homework, seeing friends, and relaxing with Netflix on.”
However, it is vital when balancing a busy schedule to not lose sight of what is truly important in life. Taking a few moments out of your day to take a walk, go for a run, or do something that relaxes you is an important component to maintaining one’s sanity.
Eleanor Novek, a communication professor juggles her busy schedule and maintains her stress level by incorporating nature into her routine. “Even if all I can do is take a short walk under the trees, that helps me keep my eye on what is truly important in life.” She also added the following advice for students. “If we are spending a lot of time on something irrelevant as a way of avoiding something we really need to get done, it is good to recognize that and recalculate,” said Novek.
Claude Taylor, a communications professor and academic advisor urges students to experiment with different time management approaches to find one that works with their individual lifestyle.
“Plan ahead and make daily lists of five to seven tasks in order of priority. This allows for ‘life happens’ issues then they arise, but keeps you focused on short term goals. My advice for students is to find a time management approach that works for you and to stick with it,” said Taylor.
It can be difficult to juggle a busy schedule, especially for us college students. Our course loads, work schedules, extracurricular activities, and internships make for a very busy life.
It is important to remember to handle stress in a way that it will not deter us from what we need to get done, but it will motivate us to do better and be better.
PHOTO TAKEN by Amanda Gangidino
