How Do You Balance Building Your Resume in College With Staying Sane?

Throughout my experience as a college student, I have gone through my fair share of ups and downs. We all go through emotional times of extreme stress, and maintaining a balanced life can be difficult especially when you have your plate full.

Last semester alone I juggled between being a full-time business student, two internships and a member of the Executive Board for my a Capella group. Each of these extracurricular activities comes with its own set of tasks, deadlines, and demands., So, as you can probably imagine, I have some words of wisdom when it comes to balancing everything out while still keeping your sanity and enjoying college. So before you cry looking at your own schedule the semester, take some advice from someone who has been there. Here are some things I have learned through my own over-scheduled experience.

1. Get your beauty rest.

This one is a no-brainer. If you aren’t sleeping, then you aren’t going to be able to stay focused. Although I am a caffeine junkie, coffee does not replace sleep. We all need good quality sleep, period.

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2. Stay organized.

Make sure you outline what tasks you plan to accomplish daily to meet your deadlines. I like to review and keep everything in order so I do not fall behind. By being organized, you can prevent being stressed and crunched for time!

3. Study smart.

There is studying for hours on end and then there is studying smart. By studying when you are meant to be studying (instead of, say, also watching Netflix and scrolling on Instagram) you will find that you actually need a fraction of the time to finish the work. Step into the library, step away from social media and knock out what you need to. Know your study habits and your needs so you can study smart.

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4. Have a strong support system.

Regardless of how ahead you are, there will always be times of stress. Having a strong support system to fall back on when you aren’t doing well mentally can always help get you through a rough time. Everyone is either just a phone call or a quick FaceTime away. Never be afraid to reach out for help if you need it, because that is what a support system is meant to do.

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5. Treat yourself.

Relaxing is always a nice way to wind down a stressful and jam-packed day, so never forget to plan out blocks of time for you to take a break. I always like to designate about 20 to 30 minutes of my day to relieve my mind. Whether it be watching a quick episode of my favorite show while you eat dinner or hanging out with your friends at the end of the day, do it. You deserve it. I always like to save this part for last as a reward for completing all the things I wanted to accomplish that day.