College is not high school. You can do a million things in high school but it is important to not stretch yourself thin in college. This is advice I received going into my first year of college. I managed to maintain balance well my first semester but second semester I am struggling. I currently have 17 credit hours, an internship, a leadership role, a job, and I am a member of numerous organizations. Because of all of this, it has been hard to ace everything. I am not doing terribly academically but I know I can do better. I can receive all A’s again and I strive to. I am now at a midpoint and I plan to improve in all of my courses and strive to get the A. I know it is possible; all I need is a little balance. To help me find balance in college, I turned to the resource any college student would, Google. I found an article by Randall Hansen that gave me ten insightful tips. I will share a few of them. First, I must set realistic goals. I have decided to set a goal of getting all A’s. Even if I receive an A- , I am still striving to achieve all A’s. I did it last semester and I can do it again. Next, I must learn to study effectively. I want to develop a study schedule that works best for me. Another tip that pertained to me was to learn to better manage your time. Avoid procrastination. I need to develop a system for managing and prioritizing my time. I need time for eating, exercising, studying, and socializing — as well as some time just for me. I often am so overwhelmed that I forget how important time alone is and how beneficial it can be. An important tip I will implement this week is to simplify. I need to learn how to say no and how not to take on too many tasks. Another pivotal tip is to let things go (don’t sweat the small stuff). It is okay if I miss a student government meeting or a basketball game. I need to learn to recognize the things that do not really have much impact in my life and allow myself to let them go—and then not beat myself up for doing so. Tip #10 really hit home for me. I must know when it is time to quit. I have always prided myself on being dedicated and seeing all I do to the end. However, I have simply taken on too much and I must quit something. I have decided to quit an organization that is not important in the grand scheme of things. Balance in college is vital. Without balance you will feel as if you are constantly walking a tight rope. I plan to get organized and get balanced and implement these tips in this new week. I am confident I will finish this semester strong.
