5 Tips To Start Balancing School

There's no way to sum up everything there is to know about balancing school in one blog post, which is precisely why I don't intend to try. However, I've found in my academic career that the key to reaching a goal is having a starting point and taking it one step at a time. So, with that said, here are a few tips to get you started.

1. BUY A PLANNER. I know, for most it sounds like I'm speaking ancient language to say it's a smart idea to get an actual book filled with paper and use one of those, (what do they call them?) oh yeah - pens, to write in it. Trust me, I'm just as addicted to my smart phone as the next busy person, but the truth is technology isn't always dependable and at any moment you could lose your contacts, schedule, alarm clocks, and who knows what else. I buy a planner every year and keep it with me in my purse, school bag, or whatever I have on me that day.I write down everything from my work schedule to when I'm hanging out with who, but the best part is I can take my syllabus each semester and fill in my planner with due dates and tests. Not only does it help you organize your school work so that you don't miss an assignment or test, but it will help avoid those awkward moments when you get a phone call from a friend, family member, or worse - your boss, asking why you're not somewhere you didn't know you had to be. 

Example of mine - hopefully you are a little more OCD than I am and don't go haywire on yours :)

2. Read your syllabus. Often times when we're busy we try to avoid reading these (especially since most of them are long, drawn out pages of rediculousness) but trust me, it's worth it. If you can, print out a copy for yourself or use the one the professor gives you and sit it by your desk at home or work so you can reference it if needed. 

3. Prioritize. It seems simple, but I know how difficult it is to sit down and study for a test when everyone else is going to a local bar for Wasted Wednesdays. In the end, it just takes a little self control. You have to ask yourself how prepared you are, what's more important, and of course, what's a stake. It may seem like a few C's and D's are no big deal, but the closer you get to graduation, the more you'll wish you prioritized earlier.

4. Take a break. When you've been at work all day and then had to go to a campus event followed by walking your dog and cooking dinner, it's hard to sit down and read a chapter on how the brain works. So, take a break. Go for a walk, listen to some music, watch a 30 minute television show, and then get back to it. I know sometimes it feels like you have to rush rush rush to get everything done, but some of the worst work comes from an uneasy mind. How many times have you sat down to read and gotten halfway through a chapter just to realize you didn't read a single word. I know I've had scanning-eye-make-you-think-you're-learning syndrome before, but I have learned to avoid it by letting my brain rest for a short time before sitting down to shove it full of text language. 

5. Plan ahead. If you're taking four 3-credit courses, plan study time or homework time into your schedule. If don't have homework, then no big deal that time is free for you to go play. BUT, if you do have homework or studying to do, you'll already have time planned out for it. Of course, this is always easier said than done, but if you are already expecting something in your schedule then it doesn't stress you out as much.

This is just a short list of tips to help if you're feeling a little overwhelmed. I hate to get all "mom" on you, but just take a deep breath and take one step at a time. When you feel overwhelmed, just take a moment to realize that if you do that quiz tonight or read two chapters, that'll be one less thing you have to do tomorrow.