Balancing uni work, jobs, cooking, cleaning, staying healthy, and having a good social life can prove tricky. It’s easy to get overwhelmed once you realize how much there is to think about.
For many students, uni will be their first experience living away from family, and with great independence comes great responsibilities. You suddenly have to take care of yourself alongside studying.
After two years I’m only just getting to grips with some good tips on how to stay on top of everything, but with my advice, you should get there a lot sooner.
I hope to give you some great ways to keep on top of everything and reassure you that you are not alone. So many students are dealing with the stress of trying to find a balance for everything.
But you will manage, sometimes through trial and error and sometimes through the advice of others (maybe advice from an article like this one).
Compartmentalizing
Compartmentalizing means dividing something into sections or categories. When you have a lot to do, being able to divide things into different compartments can be a lifesaver.
Worrying about everything at once will be too overwhelming, so break it down, write yourself a list of all the things you need to do, and work through it point by point.
Being able to identify what takes priority means that you can find a good starting point. Always start with your welfare, then move on to university, and then leisure.
To compartmentalize effectively you also need to understand that not everything can be done in a day. Assigning different tasks to each day will help relieve some of the pressure as you no longer have to think about it until that day.
Balancing a job
Many students will have to come to grips with balancing a part-time job alongside their studies. Finding a flexible job can help make balancing uni and work a lot easier.
Letting your employers know your timetable will help them allocate shifts that don’t clash with your studies. It is never worth missing a lecture for work.
Also creating a plan for each day can help diminish some of the stress of trying to get everything done.
Julia Edmonds is a senior journalism major studying at The University of Scranton in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She works in her university’s Writing Center where she helps other students with their papers and teaches them how to better their writing skills.
She described her initial reaction to balancing a job at uni:
I was just constantly overwhelmed because I didn’t schedule it the way that I wanted to and unintentionally I hadn’t realized that I had planned my schedule in a way that didn’t work for me
Julia Edmonds
In reflection, she spoke about the importance of creating a schedule that works for you:
Making sure my schedule fits exactly what I need it to, so on top of it being around my classes, I also allowed for breaks… because in the past I didn’t do that and I was rushing around to have lunch or dinner or things like that… I realized that when I set aside shifts to work around my schedule, but also to work around me and what I need, that’s the best way to do it.
Julia Edmonds
Take regular breaks
Unlike school, university dedicates a lot more time to independent study, which means you have the power to dictate your own schedule.
When you have a lot of work due, it can be tempting to try to get as much done in one sitting as possible, but this will only lead to you burning out.
Taking regular breaks allows your brain to reset, and you will likely achieve higher-quality work.
This means putting on an episode of your favourite series reading a book, anything that you enjoy doing. Having this break can also work like an award system.
You complete a task and then you allow yourself to do or watch something as a reward. This can provide great motivation to get your work done.
Plan your week
Knowing what you want to get done each day and what needs to get done in advance can really help you spread your time accordingly.
I advise committing to a Monday to Friday working week with set hours for each day for when you need to begin working and finish working.
Having a visual plan will help you stick to your schedule and it means you’re less likely to forget what you have to do each day.
Making a food plan can also really help as you will have bought the right ingredients and won’t be searching frantically because you don’t have enough to eat and end up having to order a takeaway last minute (this helps you save money too).
Balancing your social life
Having a fulfilled social life is the highlight of many students’ university lives. But it’s important to keep a balance between work and playtime.
It can be tempting to go out every night but unfortunately, this isn’t maintainable alongside your work schedule.
But you also don’t want to miss out! Taking too many rain checks can lead to you feeling isolated and not making the most of the time you have with your uni friends.
Much like balancing a job while at uni, balancing your social life is a lot easier to do with a schedule to refer to. Giving yourself designated nights out means you can enjoy being social without jeopardizing your study time.
Daisy Pierce is a final-year student at Bournemouth University, who had to grasp a way to balance her social and uni life over the past three years:
I struggled to balance my uni and social life back in my first year when I didn’t really plan out my time. Now I have a whiteboard so plan what time I need to do each day and when I have time for social occasions.
Daisy Pierce
Allocate days off
This kind of links to the previous point, but knowing what days you want off (advisably weekends) means you have something to work towards.
If you complete your workload in the week, you can afford to have a couple of days off. This is when you can really maximize on your social life.
Also being able to take full weekends off frees up time for you to visit home. Most students will experience some level of homesickness so this can really help give you a positive boost, which will help you stay motivated.
It is also likely that there will be some events that you will need to have the whole day off to participate in (race days, sports events, day trips with friends).
Plan these in advance so you can keep a healthy balance for uni work and time off. Then you can enjoy the day without the stress of thinking you still have so much to do.
Balancing exercise
It’s super easy to forget basic things like eating well and exercising when you’re swamped by balancing uni, work, and everything else, but it’s still so important to find the time to balance uni with staying healthy.
Even going for a short walk every day can make all the difference. It can be a really effective use of a break between uni work to go and exercise whether that’s at the gym or running or walking. It can help clear your mind and keep you feeling well and productive.
Finding someone who will exercise with you is especially effective in keeping a good exercise routine. It means you can motivate each other, and the idea of letting that person down often motivates you to commit to your plans.
But remember not to go overboard, exercise will tire you out quickly so knowing how much you can do while still being able to stay awake and keep on with your work is crucial.
