BWW Blog: Who Has the Time?

Anyone involved in an artistic lifestyle can all agree on one thing... there are not enough hours in the day to do everything we feel we need too. This becomes especially true in a college setting where BA and BFA students are asked to take a plethora of major-centered, general education, and elective credit hours starting their first semester on campus. Take a busy school schedule and combine it with a social life and interest in student organizations and it can become very overwhelming very quickly. I experienced this in full force this past spring semester (when we were still on campus at least) and I learned some time management tips and tricks to help keep my head above water. If you go into this Fall with solid time management skills and an awareness of your limits, you will avoid a lot of the stress and keep more of the learning and fun that should be born out of your college experience.

My first tip is one that is spouted by teachers, coaches, parents, and basically any adult who has to plan their life efficiently. And that is to keep a strict and concise calendar. Many students keep an agenda or something of the sort but my biggest recommendation is to keep an online calendar alongside your written one. This is because it is significantly easier to whip out your phone and add an event in a quick situation and you can receive event notifications whenever you need them. The next part of this is the most important. Plan everything. Put in time for homework and studying, when you wake up, all the times you are going to eat, and basically everything that you can to plan out your day. This includes sectioning off time for hanging with your friends or going out as well. I found that this helped me feel like I always had something to do and was not wasting any time. By keeping yourself to a strict schedule you will actually find yourself having more time to get your stuff done and relax. You will also never miss out on anything because it will be worked into your schedule flawlessly.

The next tip I have sounds simple but is very challenging at first. That is to prioritize. Some things should be non-negotiable, like sleeping, eating, and making school related deadlines. It is very easy to get caught up with your friends or your extracurriculars and sacrifice sleep for deadlines or vice versa. You are at college to learn, first and foremost. If you keep your priorities straight in your mind and in your scheduling you should have time for the fun stuff. But if you spread yourself too thin, you will start to struggle in all areas from personal to academic. Holding yourself accountable and skipping out on the coffee outing once or twice will set you up for future success.

Finally, my last tip is to check in on yourself. Sometimes, regardless of your planning or preparation, you will be stressed and feel like you do not have enough hours in the day. These are the moments you should step back and ask yourself how this situation occurred. Did you plan enough? Did you sign up for too many clubs? Are your friends being good influences? These are the tough questions you must face. If there is one thing I want you to get it is this, it is okay to quit a club or back out on a party if it means you avoid becoming too overwhelmed. Burning yourself out is the worst thing you can do for your artistic and academic career in a college environment. This overestimation is how we learn our limits and what is truly important to us. If the thought of dropping your yoga club makes you want to cry, address if you feel the same way about all of your other student organizations. If it is not having a direct positive impact on your life then it is pulling you away from things that do. Check in with yourself often and keep your eyes focused on your goals.

These are the time management tricks I have learned to help me keep myself from drowning in the opportunities college provides. All of this was learned with trial and error and you will fall down along the way, but that is how you learn what works best for you and your lifestyle.