Balancing Act – Uni, work and Social life
Making enough time for assignments, revision, part time or full time work, drinks with friends and time just for yourself can seem impossible. Here are a few ways you can get your work done and still have time to unwind.
Prioritise your work and Keep an updated schedule
You should organise your work load based on when projects, exams etc are due and around your hours if you have a job. Create a timetable and set aside specific times throughout the week to focus on things like homework, laundry and going to the gym. Make sure to check your curriculum and when your assignments are due to ensure you don’t forget anything. This way you can work out which days you can go out and see friends, go shopping or just stay home and chill out. Having your work planned out and staying on top of it will take away the stress of upcoming assignments and homework and allow you to relax. Remember not to beat yourself up if you let your schedule slip a little bit now and then, you’re only human!
Work ahead
If you want to find balance between work and studying, it’s important to stay ahead and not procrastinate. If you procrastinate, you’re allowing your to-do list to grow and grow into an intimidating amount of work. And once all that work has piled up, it’ll be even harder to motivate yourself to get started. You should get ahead on readings, papers and other assignments. It’ll help reduce procrastination-based stress while allowing more time for your part-time job or spending time with friends.
Get enough sleep
You hear about the benefits of getting more sleep, from maintaining a strong immune system to improving your moods but how often do you actually do it? Sometimes you could get so caught up in your work, going out and being stressed that you neglect a regular sleep schedule which can have a massive impact on how clearly you can think. If you take the time to improve the quality of your sleep, your stress levels are likely to go down, you’ll feel more refreshed and make fewer mistakes in your work. Benefits all round.
Make time for yourself
It can be easy to neglect yourself, especially when you’re attending classes during the week and working after hours and weekends. But to balance work, university and a social life, it’s important that you make time for yourself. Spend a day relaxing, on your own either watching movies or take a long bath. It’s refreshing to be able to be in your own company and not have to worry about anyone or anything. It’s important for your well-being to have some time set aside away from work and school. On your off weekend, or once you’ve finished important tasks, be sure to find some way to treat yourself and clear your mind.
Following these tips might not melt all your stress away but it’ll help you stay sane while still maintaining a busy schedule. It can be challenging, but at the end of the day the experience is what you make it.
