Being at university isn’t like being at school. You don’t turn up at nine and leave at three, with homework in the evening – there’s a lot of independent study to fit in. On top of that, you’ll need to balance a blossoming social life, visits home and any part-time work that you’ve had to take on to pay for your cost of living. All in all, it’s a lot to manage, and something many students find challenging, so you’re not alone.
In this blog, we share our top tips for making the balancing act easier.
Set some boundaries
Trying to do more than one thing at once is never easy, so boundaries are key so that you don’t feel pulled in multiple directions. Be intentional with how you want to split your time, and communicate this to others so that they don’t feel able to interrupt you. For example, you might want to structure your days as if you were working – studying from 9-3 in the library, and then heading out in the evening for clubs, socials or even just calling home.
There can be a misconception that just because you’re not in a full-time job, you’ve got plenty of time to speak to your family and friends, run errands or take on extra shifts. Remember that within reason, your studies should be your priority during term time.
Prep to make your life easier where you can
Work on making your life as streamlined as you can, so that you can focus on the task at hand. Meal prepping is one example of this – if you put some time into batch cooking once or twice a week, you’ll be able to have more time on the other evenings, as well as not having to think about what you’re having for lunch and dinner. This can also help you ensure that you eat a balanced diet when things get busy and pizza every night sounds all the more tempting.
Spending some time cleaning on the weekend can also ensure that you have a tidy space where you can easily concentrate on work – and you can’t procrastinate by hanging your washing out or rearranging your room. Of course, this will depend on your living arrangements; if you’ve got housemates who you share the cleaning with, you’ll need to coordinate to divide tasks up ahead of time.
Plan your weeks
When you know what’s going on when, it’s much easier for your brain to focus, especially if you write it down. So why not get a wall planner to help you map out the week or even the whole term?
Putting in key dates such as assessment deadlines and exams can help you get a better idea of when you might be able to work and when you can squeeze in a visit home, as well as helping you plan out your studies. On a weekly planner, you could also assign time for socials, exercise or other activities so that you can make sure you’re fitting everything in and have a good work-life balance.
Using a different colour pen for each activity type can help you notice at a glance if you’re spending more time than you want to on certain areas.
Don’t overcommit yourself
University is a chance to spread your wings and try new things, but try not to overcommit yourself, as you’ll only burn out. Leave room for downtime and for things to take longer than you expected, lest you be writing right up until the deadline because you’ve been too tired to do it before or because you thought you could do it in a day.
Managing work can be trickier, as it earns you money. A good idea is to create a budget, so that you’re clear on what you need to earn vs what you simply want in order to buy some extra things or go out. That way, if extra shifts are offered, then you can weigh up if you need that money or if it’s simply a nice to have – in which case your studies should take priority.
Balance is the key to enjoying university life
Balance is ultimately the key here: too much work will leave you burnt out, while too much play will impact your studies. By having a more planned approach to university life, you can ensure you’re getting the best of everything and reduce your risk of feeling overwhelmed from having too many commitments.
