College really has you thinking about what you’re doing the next day and the day after that. When you’re spending a lot of money to get an education in something that interest you, its important that you’re really putting in all the effort in trying to pass. In the past years, I have been the worst example of a college student that has his weeks planned out with work, homework, upcoming exams etc. I wasn’t the best student and really put minimal (plus more) effort in trying to pass my classes or really seeing what my end game was. This past quarter as been different. Why? It wakes you up when you get a letter from your school with some information that really puts you in “be better” mode.
How have I been improving my work-school-life balance? Its amazing what sitting down and really focusing on what you want to accomplish can do. It literally can take about 5 minutes and my week is scheduled with what I have to turn in or if I have something else scheduled that isn’t school related or how my work schedule is going to impact me. Before, I did not like scheduling anything. I saw no point in it. If I was going to do something I just did it. Didn’t really work well for my grades or stress levels. I did most things last minute and I was not happy in the end. It wasn’t the best for me. Lately, I’ve been feeling more confident and better now that Ive started writing down what I need to do and when. Still having some trouble but it’s been improving. I thought I would share some tips in what has helped me. Hope you enjoy them!
Tips for Scheduling
- Do it on a Monday or Sunday towards the end of the day (This essentially gets you to think how the upcoming week is going to go. It’s the end of the week and it’s time to refresh and go.)
- Buy a planner or use a calendar on a phone (Some classes import the schedules right into the student calendar and is done for you automatically. It’s a nice thing but it’s usually better if you write it down somewhere and think about how your week is going to let you finish your assignments. I bought my planner for about $8 and I’ve used it a lot already. Its a great investment if you like writing things down. A phone works great too.)
- Change things up (Most assignments are due on certain days of the week and doing the same type of assignments on the same day can get to receptive. Now, I know it works for most people but I like to change things up. I’ll do an assignment on one day and the next week another. It might seem like it’s a little thing to do but I really don’t like having set schedules.)
- It will take time to really get into the habit (Before, I really was not into having to write things down. I didn’t see the point in it. Slowly, I’ve been seeing the benefits of having to schedule certain elements of school and my life. It eases the pain of having to wonder what to do and if future plans can happen or not. I still make time to do things that I enjoy but it feels better knowing that I can finish the important things beforehand.
- Personalize it (Make it your own. Most of the tips out there are around the same thing and the most important one is to just do it in a way that you know that you can follow and will enjoy doing it. If you like writing it down do that. If you’d rather have it electronically do that too. If you want to do it in the middle of the week, ignore the first tip. These are just ways that help me and sharing them. Do what makes you happy.
The AlExperience 
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