The word busy takes on a whole new meaning in college. You may think you had time commitments in high school, but they are nowhere near the intensity of what they will be in college. Classes are enough on their own, but when you add in all of the other obligations college students take on to fill their resumes, fitting everything that needs to be done into one day is comparable to an olympic sport.
I’m the kind of person that doesn’t do well when I get stressed and overwhelmed, so you can imagine it’s been a journey for me navigating balance. I despise the feeling of knowing there’s more things to get done than hours left in the day and prefer everything to be complete far in advance, but sometimes that’s simply impossible.
This semester I’m taking only two courses. I thought I’d have at least a little more free time, but that somehow just isn’t the case. Between prepping for the UNC Dance Marathon, organizing Carolina Tap Ensemble’s Spring Showcase, and working a part-time internship, my classes fill a very small chunk of my days that are primarily spent sending emails and planning out content.
But on top of all of these extra things we as students have on our to-do lists, we have ourselves. It’s so easy to forget about yourself and the things you want and need for your mental sanity when you have a billion other responsibilities that require your immediate attention, but it shouldn’t be.
College survival tip #10: put yourself first, or at least in the top 5. Take some time to do the things you want to do just because you can.
Personally, this is something I struggle with a lot. I feel guilty if I watch a single episode of whatever Netflix show I’m currently bingeing because I know there’s probably some other task I should be doing instead.
But we deserve time off every now and then. These little escapes, even if they’re only for 30 minutes, will do wonders for you in the long run. It will make you more productive so you can crank out that to-do list that much faster.
Putting yourself first doesn’t just allude to your entertainment of choice, it means getting enough sleep, making time to hang out with your friends, and going to all of the sporting events that pique your interest.
It’s not always possible to get a full eight hours of sleep, but look for every possible excuse to do it. If that means putting off studying for your exam by one day or cancelling lunch plans, do it.
At the end of the day, you only get to do college once. Enjoy it. Don’t spend all your time stressing over how little time you have. Do what you can and the rest will work itself out.