Achieving homeostasis amidst what seems like never-ending school work and everything else enjoyable is arguably one of a college student’s most difficult feats. It is not unlikely for students to complain about their lack of time for anything but school and by the time the weekend approaches, many feel too exhausted to enjoy it and are more often than not swamped with homework.

While there is no universal secret to mastering the art of balance and time management, there are certainly a number of things that can be done to ease the stress of it and hopefully help to manage time and life’s activities better.

Dr. Brian Evans, a Mathematics professor at the University stated, “The balance can be the challenging part. I recommend to my University 101 (UNV 101) class to make sure the students are using their calendar [or] planner so that they are creating time for schoolwork, hobbies and their social lives.”

Planners can be an extremely useful tool for students of all ages and grade levels. Many support the use of a planner and believe it is an excellent key to success, with some students finding it helpful to assign different colors to different subjects or aspects of their life. Visualizing weekly plans can be a very beneficial way to know what needs to be done before deadlines approach.

If you don’t like seeing a dozen tasks and too many words get jumbled into word salad, don’t worry, there are other solutions! Another way to achieve balance is to create daily to-do lists. Laying out assignments for the week and then dividing up the tasks can make it seem less overwhelming. Making it a goal to complete a few daily assignments can greatly reduce the weekend workload for when Friday rolls around!

Procrastination can be a student’s greatest fault, so another helpful tip is to save academics for weekdays, and hobbies for weekends. It frequently happens that students will wait until Sunday at 11:59 p.m. to turn in an assignment due on Monday morning. This is why time management is such an important part of the balance. Whether that means 30 fewer minutes of phone time or skipping that unnecessary afternoon nap, make it a habit to ensure that school work is done during the week, to allow for a restful and enjoyable weekend. A tip to being successful in this is to try to complete assignments as they are given!  

Lastly, remember to set “cutoffs.”  A primary factor in maintaining a good social life and being able to partake in hobbies is to make sure that you are well enough to participate! Doing hours of homework every day and at late hours does not leave enough energy to possibly balance the two. A good tip to keep in mind is setting boundaries by setting an alarm or reminder on your phone that notifies you to stop working. Whether that method is a two-hour timer or stopping all school-related activities at 9 p.m., do whatever works best for you! This allows the day to feel productive, while still enjoying time for yourself.