Dixon Gerber
McKay Student Ambassador
Elementary Education
As a student athlete who works almost 20 hrs a week and goes to school full time, life can be hectic. It frequently feels like there isn't enough time in the day to do everything I want and need to do. Here are some tips to balance work, school, and life effectively:
Create A Schedule With Order of Importance
When it comes to creating a schedule, start with the things you have to do and where you need to be. For me, I start with my classes, work, practice, and on Sundays, church and meetings. These activities will typically fill up a large portion of your week. After you have a schedule of the activities that are reoccurring and set in stone, then you can add some more activities that you value. Those activities can include going on dates, spending time reading a book, doing homework, or taking a nap--that's up to you.
Below is an example of my schedule with only reoccurring activities and classes scheduled. This doesn't even include homework or personal life activities like going on dates or hosting movie and game nights. Notice that this also doesn't show very many meals. Most of my Saturdays and Sundays are spent with meal prepping, doing homework, and/or spending time with friends. I often find myself snacking throughout the day, eating a late lunch and having a late dinner.
Efficiently Doing Homework
When it comes to doing homework, finding a system that works best for you is the most important step. Personally, I start every semester going through Learning Suite and making a list of all of the assignments, when they're due, and which class they are for. I know this can get overwhelming for some people. An alternate way to do this is to have different tabs for each week with the assignments due throughout the week.
There are some assignments that aren't due at midnight the day that they are due. I will put their due date the day before because, as a procrastinator, I am more efficient when I have a deadline. I do try to get assignments done a few days before the due date. However, as the semester goes on, I find myself getting closer and closer to or even pushing past those due dates.
Study How You Study Best
Finding when and where you are most productive is also useful when finding the most efficient way to get your homework done. I found that I'm most productive when it's late at night, which I know is not the case for most people. Another time I'm very productive is when I have someone next to me. They could be doing something else, not even paying attention to what I'm doing, but I realized that having them there helps me stay focused. Another thing that many people use to help them focus is using music. Many people like listening to classical music to help them.
Personally, I put on an upbeat song and leave it on repeat. After the 2nd or 3rd time hearing the song, the music fades to the background as I work on homework. I also found that when I am in a public place with people walking around, I get distracted very easily. Because of this, I avoid high traffic areas such as the library or the Wilk when I am working on homework.
You may still feel like you don't have much time to do homework. Something I did was teach myself to eat with my left hand. This sounds weird, but as I've eaten with my left hand, I have been able to work on homework with my right hand making it easier for me to accomplish different tasks while eating.
Enjoying Life
Give yourself time to staying in the present. After developing habits that allow me to make the most of my time, I find ways to enjoy life. I love playing sports, board games, and watching movies. I love playing and writing music. I try to find time throughout the week that I can do something I enjoy. I find that taking even 15-30 minutes throughout the day to be with someone I love being around, playing a song, watching an episode of a tv show I've been watching, or taking a quick nap, I'm able to focus on my work. Because of this, I can enjoy a healthy work-life balance.
Conclusion
Life is crazy. It can feel like everything is piling up and falling apart at the same time. However, as you create a schedule, find the way that you can efficiently get assignments done, and enjoy little moments in life, you can have more control in your life and find greater joy in the journey even when everything seems to be falling apart. I'm a student athlete who works almost 20 hrs a week and goes to school full time. It is very easy for assignments and stresses of life to pile up, but I have found a system that works for me that allows me to enjoy life and find time to do what I love doing.
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