BALANCING WORK, STUDY & PLAY: A GUIDE FOR STUDENTS

Many of you have probably heard a phrase similar to the following “As a Uni student you want 3 things; good grades, money and a social life, but unfortunately you can only choose 2″. Well as a full time Uni Student with a full time job and a fairly active social life I am here to tell you that finding balance between all 3 can be done. Yep that’s right, there’s no need to settle for just two! I however, would be lying if I said it’s an easy task. Chances are at times you will feel tired and overextended but with enough planning and dedication finding balance can be achieved quiet effectively and with minimal stress. So how do I go about juggling my everyday life whilst staying sane? Well, here are a few tips and tricks that work for me and may work for you too. Feel free to share any of your own in the comments section I’d love to hear them!

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF PHYSICALLY & EMOTIONALLY:

In order to run at your full potential you need to take care of yourself. This is of the upmost importance. After all how can you expect your body/mind to do what you want it to do if you don’t take care of it? Because of this you need to make sure you get enough sleep, eat well, exercise regularly and drink plenty of water. Stay away from sugary snacks and energy drinks. Ultimately these so-called “pick me ups” only lead to a sugar high than crash, which is a definite no-no when you need to stay alert and productive throughout the entire day. Keeping a busy schedule can be tough on your body both physically and mentally but when you combine this pressure along with the lack of exercise and a poor diet chances are your immune system is going to take a beating and you’ll wind up sick. Just think about how many people do you see in finals sniffling, coughing and sneezing!

MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF EACH DAY:

This goes hand in hand with maintaining a healthy, relatively stress-free state of mind. In order to keep everyday stresses at bay and be at your full potential you need to make time for yourself to relax. Even if it’s only for 20 minutes, be sure to do it! Each morning when I wake up I spend 20 minutes drinking my coffee and reading a magazine or the paper. A nice bubble bath or a run with my dog also does the trick. It really surprising how a little “Me-Time” can change your entire attitude and give you a clearer (and often calmer) perspective. Which ultimately aids in productivity.

BE ORGANISED IN THE MORNING. EVEN IF THAT MEANS HALF AN HOUR LESS SLEEP:

Starting your day off rushing around makes for a stressful day. Plus chances are if your are rushing about you are going to forget about something important. One trick I learnt from my Mum is to set my clock forward 10-15 minutes and organise myself around that time (not the actual time). Running that little bit ahead of schedule will allow you to account for any unforeseen circumstances, such as having to drive back home to grab something you forgot, that annoying traffic on the highway and that extra few minutes you needed to touch up your hair or make up (superficial I know!). Also, if like myself you struggle with motivation in the morning you may benefit from organising yourself the night before. I like to iron my clothing, pack my bag, find my keys and lay out everything I need for the following day the night before. This way when I wake up all I have to worry about is having a shower, getting dressed and heading out. Easy. Plus nothing ruins a morning more than having to turn the house upside-down searching for keys, USB’s or a credit cards. We have all been there!

BECOME A PRO AT SCHEDULING: 

If you have a lot to do and want to ensure it all gets done you will need a schedule of some sort. My favourite way to keep track of my Uni schedule is with my iPhone with an App called Pocket Schedule. You can download the Free version or purchase the Full version for just 99 cents. Taptodo however is what I use as my all round planner. Taptodo is linked to your Google account and allows you to create an interactive to-do list that is not only linked to your Google Account but to your email as well. I normally use these 2 apps in combination with my trusty scribble pad/journal, but what works for you may be entirely different than what does for me. It’s trial and error really. I was going to go into more detail about the do’s and dont’s of creating a schedule but my Hawaiian Penpal and fellow Blogger; Jess from Jess Classy  beat me to it! You can her lovely guide here. It’s definitely worth a read if you find scheduling a little daunting.

IF POSSIBLE, KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE:

As much as I’d like to say otherwise there’s only a limited amount of hours in a day, which means only so much can be done. No matter how organised you are. This is when multitasking comes in handy. If I have a whole bunch of stuff on my plate I like to combinine tasks or “kill two birds with one stone”.  This may mean combining coffee with a friend with a beach walk (Exercise + Social) or reading over my notes on the train on the way home form work/Uni. If you get creative with your scheduling you may find that you do in fact have more time than you originally thought.

LEARN TO PRIORITISE &  SAY “NO” WHEN YOU NEED TO:

This was probably the hardest lessen I had to learn. As sad as it may be, when you have a lot on your plate you are not going to be able to please everyone. If disappointing a friend by not attending her party means passing an exam or getting that extra shift to pay for your rego then don’t feel guilty. It’s all about priorities and chances are if you explain to your friend why you aren’t attending and organise an alternative she’ll forgive you.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP & KNOW YOUR LIMITS:

If you are finding your busy schedule to be too much there’s no shame in asking for help or slowing down. Most Universities have services or people you can speak to  who will help you out when it comes to managing your studies or dealing with stress.  I will admit to being more than slightly adverse when it comes to asking for help but having utilised such services (after a lot of nagging from a friend!) I was able to rearrange my classes to fit in perfectly with my working schedule and undertake a class online to save time. So I will assure you that if you are struggling with keeping up with your studies or fitting everything in visiting Uni Services it’s worth swallowing your pride for. Remember your physical and mental health is far more important than anything else and there’s no shame in slowing down or asking for help.

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Tags: BALANCING STUDENT LIFE, Balancing University with Work, Finding Balance, Good Grades, Love & Life, Love & Lifestyle, Money, Social Life, Starting Uni