Three steps to balancing school and work

It seems like a college student’s work never ends.

From working on school work, studying for exams, having a social life and maintaining a job, it can all become a little hectic. Lowerclassmen tend to lack time management skills, while upperclassmen constantly battle the symptoms that come with senioritis. Whatever the reason may be, here are three steps to make your school and work life a little bit easier.

Carefully choose your coursework

Although it may be too late to drop a course, let this be a lesson for future semesters. It may sound nice to take the maximum number of credit hours allowed so you can graduate earlier, but it is mentally draining. Only take the amount that you know you can handle. Take into consideration the hours you work per week and/or any extracurricular activities you’re involved in.

Become organized

A common characteristic all students have is procrastination. Aside from procrastination, many students have a hard time finding the time to study or do homework because they have work or other obligations. Space out your workload and study times during the week so you’re not studying or doing homework when you get home from your late-night shift. If you leave all your school work and studying to one day, you’re more likely to put it off. No one wants to do homework after work or pulling an all-nighter

You might find it difficult to do your homework and study days in advance, but once you make it a habit it’ll reduce your stress levels. Don’t forget to give yourself days off. Finish most of your school work and do most of your studying during the week, so you have the weekend to relax.

Make time to relax

If you work all week, you’re bound to burn out eventually. Take your mind off of your priorities and have some fun. That’s the least you could do after a long week of hard work. You can go out and hang out with friends or stay at home and sleep. Especially now that midterms are around the corner, push through your exams and reward yourself as soon as they end. Before you know it, you’ll have to do the same for finals week.

Being a college student is tough but it isn’t impossible. With enough planning and dedication, you’ll be able to do well in your classes, maintain a job, and have fun throughout your college years.