If you’re anything like me, you’re busy. Between having two jobs on campus, an internship, and classes, it sometimes seems like there is not enough time in the day to accomplish everything. I’ve put together my best tips for maintaining a good balance between work and school.
- Make a to-do list. Although cliché, this is the best way for me to organize my thoughts. I usually include due dates on mine, which is an easy way to create a hierarchy of what needs to be done vs. what we can put off a little longer.
- Prioritize the “weight” of tasks. I found that this has become extremely important during senior year of college. This is not to say blow off seemingly small projects and assignments, but putting emphasis on finishing internship work first could be imperative to receiving a good recommendation in the long run (and the goal of college is to find a job, right?)
- Have a non-work related outlet. For me, this means going for a run or hitting the gym. This is a good way to clear your mind before it’s time to really get to work. I like to go after classes, internship hours, and work are over for the day to give myself a mini-break before I know I’ll have to do homework.
- Get a planner. I consider myself a very organized person, but writing down due dates immediately when tests, projects and deadlines are assigned is important for success. As much as we try to pretend like we’ll remember it later, it’s always better to be safe and write down important dates.
It’s so easy to become overwhelmed at such a stressful but exciting period in our young lives. Implementing these tips now while we’re still in school will help us to get in good habits for the rest of our professional lives.
Internships and senior year aren’t always a crazy time-consuming stressful mess. Read what Mary has written about being honored for her visual communication and design achievements.