Staff Writer- Lexi Thomas
When going into college, everybody expects that it will be challenging and it’s a change, but when getting to college and participating in classes, clubs, sports, on top of the workload, it’s just so hard to manage at times. Even for upperclassmen, it can be hard to get a routine in and know when to study and when to take a study break.
As a Frehman here at Gustavus, I know that I’ve been having the same problem of trying to figure out when to study or when to go out and go to fun activities that a club is doing, but I have to just remind myself that we’re only a month in and that it’s okay to not have it figured out!
My goal for this piece is to make anybody else who is struggling feel like it’s not just them, but to also, just maybe, give some tips that I’ve learned either from upperclassmen, just working my way around things, or some old habits that I brought from high school to college. If you have everything figured out by now, amazing, but if you don’t, that’s okay too.
Starting off, I recommend getting your days or weeks together. I like to use my Google Calendar to look at my week or day, and then I check my emails to find other fun things to do! It helps to create a structure for your days or weeks, then finding time for studying and other activities in between. Another thing that might help is when you’re done planning for the week, remember to put on like assignments that are due. I know that I put all of my assignments in my notes app on my iPad to help me outline what I need to have done and what needs to get done first!
Looking outside of planning out your day and your week, finding a routine to stick to can also be really hard when it comes to the beginning of college or the school year, I know that I’m still trying to figure out my sleep schedule and my workout schedule, but I can tell that I’m slowly starting to wake up earlier and start to get into some routine. A plan that I thought of to help me get into a workout and a good sleep schedule is that I’m going to try to use the weekends to wake up earlier. I know that a lot of students who go to school here do like to go back home for the weekend, but if you do stay on campus, this might be a good idea to try. Alongside your class schedule, it helps to determine a good sleep schedule and maybe even a workout routine if you’re not an athlete. Another thing is an eating schedule, so making sure that you are eating a good meal every day is also a good way to start to find balance within your days.
These are just some ideas to help maintain some type of balance when it comes to the start of college. Everyone is different, and it’s important to find what best suits you! Remember to take things easy to avoid burnout. Make sure that you are taking time out of your day to relax or do something that you find joy in, because that is also a part of finding balance when going through this change, or just with going into the new year or the start of college. Take it one day at a time!