How to Balance College, Work, and

Social Time: Top 10 Do's and Don'ts

Classes, coursework, friends, jobs, naptime...there's a lot of stuff to

juggle in college! Here's what you should (and shouldn't) do to balance

your life on campus.

Time management is one of the most difficult parts of college. You want to do

well in your classes, make memories with friends, earn some extra money, and

make sure these years are as amazing as everyone says they’ll be. But if you

start getting four hours of sleep a night and fall behind in class, the stress can

build up and turn your college experience into a nightmare…Let’s avoid that,

shall we? Instead of worrying about how you’re going to juggle everything you

want to do, let’s focus on outlining some ways to organize your time. Doing is

better than worrying, after all.

10 things you should do

1. Keep a planner

Remember in high school when your teachers made you use a planner to stay

organized? (Well, my teachers did, at least.) Planners are a major help in keeping

track of all the things you need to do in a day or week. You can personalize your

planner so you feel inspired or simply obligated to use it. Using your phone to

stay organized is fine too! The point is, having a tracker to record your

assignments, due dates, social events, etc. provides a tangible reference that

helps keep you grounded and feeling secure.

2. Set a sleep schedule (and stick to it!)

It’s incredibly easy to fall into an unhealthy sleep cycle in college: stay up late,

get up late, miss class, sleep in class, take a nap, do homework until the crack of

dawn… Do not do this! It messes with your body’s internal clock. Try to give

yourself a bedtime. If you can’t set a firm one (like 10:00 or 11:00 pm), set a limit

—be in bed by 12:00 am at the very least if you’re not done with what’s due the

next day. Keep a consistent wake-up time as well. If you stick with a firm

schedule, your body will thank you. (And try to get at least six hours a night, if not

more!)