College is busy. Classes, studying, theses, friends – there’s a lot going on. Even more so if you have a part-time job on top of all that. Now, if you worked during high school, you’ve got a leg up on managing school and work. But even so, you’ve never done it like this before. Your parents aren’t there to check up on your schooling, do all the grocery shopping, cook you dinner, etc. You’re on your own now, and that’s awesome. But we could all use a little help sometimes; it can be a lot to have a full class schedule and 20 hours per week dedicated to a job. From those of us that pulled it off, here’s our best advice on how to balance work, school and fun.
Get used to getting up early.
Yes, we all love to sleep in. But an extra couple of hours in the morning can be used for studying, paper-writing, or working an earlier shift so you’ve got hangout time in the evenings.
Make classes a priority.
Companies that hire college students expect they’ll need some flexibility in their schedule each semester, so concentrate on scheduling work around classes and not the other way around. After all, you’re here for an education, not work experience.
Get a planner. Or two.
It’s good to be able to visualize your schedule every day. Consider having one notebook planner you take with you each day and another dry erase one to hang on the fridge or in your room. The more actively you track your schedule, the less screw-ups you’ll have – forgetting a shift, a class or an assignment.
Don’t skip self-care.
You might think it’s asinine to plan out your chill time and sleep schedule, but if you don’t care for your body or your mental health, you’ll get overwhelmed and run down. Your grades, your social life, and your job performance will likely suffer.
Find friends with similar lifestyles.
It’s easier to relate to people who are going through the same things as us. Whether you meet people in class, at the bars, or even at work, spend your down time with people who can understand how difficult juggling work, school and friends can be. They’ll be more understanding of your lack of free time and your occasional flakiness.
Plan ahead.
For everything. Your professors hand syllabi out for a reason. Outline the semester in your agenda so you have an idea of what’s coming up when. Don’t procrastinate on the small or big things. And at work, request days off as far ahead of time as possible. The better you plan ahead, the more free time you’ll find you have.
So basically, the secret to having it all in college is efficiency, efficiency, efficiency. At the same time, know your limits. You can get burnt out if you’re way overscheduled, and then you’re not useful to anyone – yourself or others. If you need to, ask your boss for less hours weekly or a few days off during midterms and finals. If you follow all these tips, we think you’ll realize you’re capable of more than you might think; and discovering that is something to be proud of.