So college is can be a high-pressure environment, and if you’re on an especially demanding course it can sometimes feel like education is taking over your life. Sometimes for me I feel like all I ever do is go to work and college classes and desperately try to squeeze in the theory work, blogging or once in a while a hint of a social life in between the gaps! So, the main thing I’m working on this year is pacing myself and not going weeks on end without seeing any of my friends or family.
So here are a few little tips for how best to work hard, play hard:
- Stay ahead of deadlines – This point is mostly just common sense. If you’ve got an assignment in Friday, don’t leave it till Friday! If you always leave things until the last minute you run the risk of ruining your plans. It’s also likely that if you leave work until the deadline the quality will be compromised. So by being un-organised, you’re basically hitting yourself with a double negative.
- Take care of you – Teenage life can be stressful. Add together college, work, blogging, friends, family, travelling and sleep and most of my 24 hours a day have already been accounted for. Sometimes, trying to be a hero and do too much is just too much, for the mind and body. So when I feel the pressure or stress mounting, I simply just stop. Not that I cut out everything – for example as a student I have a responsibility to be in college and as an adult I have a responsibility to go to college and do my job. So when can I take care of myself? As I said in my post it’s so important to retain those friendships but sometimes the unnecessary outings need to stop just for a little bit so you can have a breather.
- Enjoy the time you have – For me, enjoying the time I do have is key. As I’m either at college or work the rest of the week, Mondays are my day. Yeah I have things to do… washing, blogging, cooking and theory work etc. but I mostly do it in PJ’s with Netflix on! So I savor Mondays, lie in till 9ish, have a nice breakfast, nice lunch, nice dinner and a long bath etc. My point is whatever you choose to do with your time, just enjoy the quiet before the storm (and believe me if you haven’t worked in a kitchen at UCB yet, the analogy of a storm really isn’t that far off!) Check out UCB blogger Jessica’s post from last week all about falling in love with taking care of yourself for some really useful tips.
- Take responsibility – Taking responsibility is a huge part of growing up and maturing and coming to college absolutely speeds up that process. So when trying to organise your life remember you HAVE TO prioritize certain areas above others. For example, I missed my best friends 18th birthday because I had an evening restaurant class in the Atrium. I was upset, of course, but I wasn’t going to let my peers down on our section and I just had to be pragmatic and deal with it. I’m also in an evening Atrium class on my own 18th birthday but at the end of the day, while of course it’s not what I envisioned for my 18th, I’ll be there because that’s my responsibility and I also get to do what I love.
So in conclusion being able to have a balance means making tough decisions, but nonetheless sometimes it has to be done.
So happy organizing. Remember to stay ahead of deadlines, take care of yourself, enjoy the time you have and take responsibility.
R.B