3 Tips for Balancing School, Work, and Life
Manage your time, set priorities, and keep yourself healthy to keep your life balanced.
Student life can be hectic, but a balance between work and life doesn't have to be the stuff of myth. If you're a student who works, full-time or part-time, things can get challenging. Can work / life balance be achieved? Of course! The following tips will help you balance your life.
Time Management
Managing your time is important, especially when you don't have much to spare. There are many paths to becoming a time management pro. Let's begin with the basics!
Buy an agenda — or, you can always pick up a free agenda from IGNITE's offices at Humber's North or Lakeshore campuses. An agenda will help you keep on track. You can plan your days, make weekly to-do lists, set goals and note big deadlines. It's good practice to put your class timetable into your agenda right away, so you know what you're in for. Once you have all the important dates down, add other dates, like birthdays, family dinners and other social events. Doing so will give you an overview of your semester and you won't over commit nor miss any important school work.
When setting up your schedule, don't forget to leave some room to relax. Being busy doesn't always mean you are being productive.
Setting Priorities
Sometimes we feel as if everything is a priority. But in reality, we have to prioritize which tasks are more important than others.
Ask yourself: What do I need to start? What should I stop doing? Continue doing? What should I do less of, more of, and so on. Interrogate your actions.
Decide what's most important in any given semester and focus on those tasks. Of course, this doesn't mean you should neglect your health, personal life, and family. The trick is to give a little time to everything, but allocate that time wisely.
Tell yourself: 'I will complete this assignment by this date and time, then spend time with my family, my partner or friends.' Don't sit with one task all day and tire yourself out. Take breaks to exercise, drink water and get outside. Your body and mind will function better.
Start your assignments early. Don't wait ‘til the eleventh hour, stressing yourself out. By setting goals, and exercising a little self-discipline, you will set yourself up for success in school.
Sleep and Eat Well
No, you don't have to pull all-nighters and miss meals to get good grades. In fact, it works the opposite way. You need to make sure you're getting eight hours of sleep, and eating healthy meals, so that you can operate at your best.
IGNITE has some solutions for you. What is IGNITE? It's the student government for Humber College and the University of Guelph-Humber. IGNITE provides services and programs that promote student health and well-being, including Soupbar, which operates on a pay-what-you-can basis. Everyone is welcome! They also have a designated area where students can catch some sleep, called the sleep lounge. Feel free to drop by between classes and recharge.
