As most of you know, I am a full-time college student. Growing up, I have always been one of the weirdos that love school. I love going to class, applying material to my life, and the environment of a learning space. I’ll admit that I have taken my fair share of classes that I have not enjoyed (philosophy just isn’t for me), but overall I really enjoy school. Another thing you should know about me is that I like to be busy. I thrive in fast-paced environments and love to have a full schedule.

One thing that I have learned throughout my college career is the importance of balance. Everyone knows that college can be hard. Figuring out how to balance all the things on your plate can be a difficult task but nonetheless, it is important.

What I have found as a helpful activity to set myself up for success is to start by prioritizing the things in my life. At this stage, my success in my classes is most important to me. In case any of you reading this need to hear it, go to class. You are literally paying for your seat in that class. Don’t waste your money, your parents’ money or whoever is paying for you to be there. Go to class.

Now I’ll hope off the soapbox and we can get real. Going to class should be most important. However, there are so many other important things to experience in college too. This is where the balancing act comes into play. Expectations of college students are wild. Spend 5 hours a day in class, 5 hours a day (at least) on homework, find time to eat 3 balanced meals, exercise, shower, go to office hours, attend meetings for extracurriculars, have a social life, take care of your mental health, also get at least 8 hours of sleep! Yep. Welcome to adulthood.

Sounds overwhelming when put like that, huh? Listen, all of those things are essential for success, but when you present them as a never ending checklist, they can sometimes seem unachievable. Here is my advice on how to perform the balancing act of your life.

1. Prioritize. Figure out the must do’s. Write them down. Write down when you are in class, your professor’s office hours, and your scheduled meetings for the week. These are usually the concrete things you can’t change. These are the foundation blocks for the rest of your schedule.
2. Pick your study place. My freshman year I was a study in my room type of gal. That was a big factor in the fact that my freshman year grades were the worst in my time as a student. Leave your room. I have found that actually going someplace with the sole intention of studying can be super beneficial. Now, 3 years into college, I am a library girl. I love the library. Find a quiet space with little distraction and get to work.
3. 1 hour rule. Set a timer for yourself. I usually like 1 hour increments. I set my timer for 1 hour, turn over my phone, and try to not look at it until my timer beeps. I think you’ll surprise yourself what you can get done in an hour. At the end of my hour if I am at a good stopping point, I save my work and move on. However, if you are feeling especially inspired keep rolling (your later self will thank you).
4. Give yourself breaks. My roomies and I have very recently mastered the art of breaks. All three of us are busy bodies. We like to be ahead in all of our classes. That is great, but we have learned that we have to give ourselves a break once in a while. We have kind of become the break police for each other. When someone notices that one of us hasn’t left our desk or shut our laptops in hot minute, we usually offer up a break time. Whether it is calling your mom, getting a Polar Pop from the nearest Circle K, or walking down the hall to check in on your friends next door, find something to encourage yourself to walk away from the screen.
5. Pursue a social life. I cannot say this enough. Make time to be social. This is where all the best memories come from. Go on the late night car rides. Plan coffee dates with your friends. Go out and make friends on the weekends. Make your social life your reward for your hard work. On weekends, I like to sit down and study on Saturday mornings so my Saturday nights are free for whatever I want to do. Get up and get your work done. When you are diligent and disciplined in your studies, you will find that you have more time than you think. Get it done, and then celebrate your hard work by allowing yourself to have fun.

These are the 5 big things, but they do not touch on everything. I know there is a lot of missing responsibilities in there. This is just a starting point. Prioritizing your school work first, setting study goals, and figuring out your study space, are all great ways to set you up for success.

The last thing I will add is to get to know your professors. This is one of my favorite things about going to a small school. Going to office hours and just spending the time with your professors says a lot. It says that you care, you’re serious about your school work, you want to have a better understanding of the material, AND should something untimely ever come up, having that positive relationship with your professor will likely lead to them being a little bit more lenient in any potential consequence. Most professors are teaching because they love that interaction with their students. They care about you, and if you just take the time to let them in on what is going on in your life, I am confident that you will not regret it.

This checklist can also be useful for those not in college too. Life is busy in all sorts of different stages. Whether you are in high school, or entering adulthood, use this to get yourself on track. I know college can be overwhelming but take advantage of all the hours in the day. Get up and get started. Look at your college years as a time full of opportunity. I promise that when you take advantage of all the hours in the day you will find there is enough time for all of it.