How to Balance School, Work and Life
As the semester progresses and courses intensify, it becomes harder to remain focused on our schoolwork alongside maintaining certain aspects of our lives. Some class blocks have already finished, others have just started, and midterms are approaching. The stress of college and life often coalesce into a mountain of responsibilities that can seem insurmountable. With this added challenge, it becomes even more important to revise your strategies and time management skills to better overcome them. Many students work a full-time job while taking classes here at Western, some may even pursue these classes full-time, other students balance other aspects of life such as family, sports, or health problems. Luckily, there are several ways to achieve both an education, and a successful and healthy lifestyle.
Ultimately, the most important aspect of being successful at school is the schoolwork itself. Everyone learns differently, as a result it is vital that you find a methodology that works for you and your learning style. Conveniently, my fellow student editor Madison Blake has created a helpful collection of tips and guidelines for being successful at taking notes in class and being a better student overall. It becomes significantly easier to balance school with other responsibilities, if you become more effective at learning and ultimately understanding your coursework. Creating a set schedule, either on pen and paper or on a mobile device will also help to streamline your day. I often try to time my lunch breaks throughout the day at a time where I can work on some of my assignments, and properly documenting those plans helps ensure I stay on track. In the chaos of the day, it could become difficult to remember certain tasks you need to complete by your memory alone and writing them down will help you in the long run.
The most important thing to remember is that your health and body is the engine to success. No schoolwork, job, or test is more important than your own health. Taking care of your health will also pay dividends in completing your work on time; for instance, you will be a far better test taker on eight hours of sleep than you would be on four. If you take morning classes, you should try to go to bed early and wake up early enough to have time to eat a hearty breakfast. The more you take care of your body, the more it will take care of you and help you achieve your goals.
