The Ultimate Guide to Managing Life as a College Student

Every college student can tell you that college life isn’t easy. Between class, assignments, having a social life, feeding yourself, worrying about finding a job, and work, it feels like there’s no time for anything! Read ahead to find out how to be productive, figure out life after college, and enjoy student life.

Maximizing Productivity as a Student

The Value of Time Management

Time management is one of those things that’s just easier said than done. But if you want to succeed as a college student, then it is a skill that you need to learn. Managing your time means that you’ll be able to balance everything that life throws at you, and get your assignments in on time. Time management reduces procrastination and helps you to feel less overwhelmed. There are many methods to time management, like scheduling, time blocking, and different study techniques, so it’s important to try many and see what works best for you!

Creating a Weekly Schedule

Creating a weekly schedule is a great first step to managing your time and your assignments. At the beginning of each week, sit down with some kind of calendar (whether it be your phone calendar, a notebook, Google calendar, or something else) and write out all of your upcoming assignments. Keep note of when assignments are due and how you’ll turn them in. Are they due in class or at midnight? Does the professor want a hard copy or can you turn it in online? Keeping all of these details in one place will allow you to have one good reference place for all of the details about your assignments.

A monthly calendar is also a good idea for keeping track of assignments. Start by buying or creating a monthly calendar (White erase board calendars are good for this) and marking out the days of the month. Assign each of your classes a color and use that corresponding color to mark down when assignments in that class are due. This way, you get a bigger visual representation of when your assignments are due and for what class. The monthly calendar can help you decide what should have higher priority in your weekly calendar.

Read more about The Best Ways to Create a Weekly Schedule here.

Setting Goals

Set goals for when you want to have certain assignments and tasks done by. It isn’t necessarily helpful to write down that your big paper is due in a month if you don’t have a plan on how you're going to finish it by the deadline. Keep track of your small assignments so you don’t forget about them, and break bigger assignments into chunks that are easier to tackle.

Being realistic while setting goals is very important. Don’t plan to have a 5 hour work session on a Tuesday night if you know that your attention span is only about 2 hours. Unrealistic and achievable goals will only set yourself up for failure and disappointment. Realistic and achievable goals will help motivate you and as you are able to complete more and more of your goals, you will feel more motivated to set and complete more goals.

Read more about How to Effectively Set and Meet Your Goals as a Student here.

Time Blocking

Time Blocking is a time management method where you break up your day into chunks of time and assign tasks to each block. For example, you might start with - “8:30-9:00 am - Wake up and eat breakfast,” then

- “12:30-1:00 pm - Eat lunch,” and later

- “3:00-4:00 pm - Finish HIST325 assignment.”

Time blocking forces you to prioritize your tasks, making sure that there is time for every task to get done. Of course, sticking to such a specific plan is easier said than done, but time blocking is a skill that can be developed just like anything else. As you continue to block out your tasks, you’ll get a better feel for how long it takes you to complete each task, allowing each day and week to be blocked out more efficiently.

Time blocking is a great way to avoid procrastination. Since your time is planned out, it takes the decision away from what to work on at the moment. All you need to do is check your blocked out calendar, and start working!

There are many apps that can help with time blocking, such as Clockwise, Google Calendar, Ticktick, Trello, and Todoist.

Read more about How to Implement Time Blocking in Your Student Life here.

Self-Accountability and Avoiding Procrastination

Of course, we gotta talk about it. Accountability and procrastination. Nobody wants to think of themselves as someone that isn’t accountable, or as a procrastinator. But the truth is, a lot of us are procrastinators. There are plenty of reasons to procrastinate as a college student. Maybe you’re just tired of schoolwork, maybe you would rather be hanging out with your friends than writing that paper, maybe you have some cleaning that needs to get done, maybe you’re simply dreading that one assignment, or maybe you just plain don't wanna do anything at all. Whatever the reason is, procrastination is holding you back. The best way to avoid

procrastination is to hold yourself accountable for the work you’ve planned to do. If you want to finish a paper by Wednesday, then hold yourself accountable for finishing it on Wednesday. It can also be very helpful to finish the work you’re the least excited for first. If you’re really dreading writing that paper, then finish it before you start working on something else. That way, you can avoid procrastinating on the paper altogether, saving yourself time in the long-run. Make a schedule, make yourself stick to it, and get those assignments done.

Learn more about How to Avoid Procrastination as a Student here.

Life After College

The end of your college career into the real world can be such an exciting time but can come with a ton of unfamiliar obstacles and questions that may seem overwhelming at first, but is a time when taking advantage of your resources is so incredibly important. The process of preparing for heading into the “real world” can start at any time and can look like a ton of different strategies, so find out what works for you and go for it!

Resume

A resume is a great way to be able to list out all of the different things that you have done or are currently doing in your college career that would interest a recruiter in your specific industry or interest. Some great qualities of a good resume include good organization, correct formatting, and aimed towards the position you are applying it towards. There are a ton of resources available for students to use in order to revise resumes, an example of this is “VMock” which reads through resumes and gives many different kinds of feedback and grades.Having a solid resume allows for employers to easily be able to see what you have accomplished during your college career and the more efficient it is for them to read the more you will stand out!

More information about Vmock!

https://www.vmock.com/

More information about resources on campus for your resume!

https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/careercenter/programs-services/resume

Networking

Networking is a skill that can set you apart after graduation is who you know and how you use that connection to get connected with a certain industry. The term networking is the act of sharing information or between people, companies, or groups. It is also a way for individuals to grow their relationships for their job or companies. Building your network can look like connecting with past or current professors, alumni who are in the “dream job” that you would love to have, or even classmates who may know people that you would like to know as well! A few ways that you can start this is by creating a LinkedIn account, going to networking events on campus, and using the support of alumni or unexpected connections in order to get closer and closer to your dream career.

LinkedIn Tips:

https://www.linkedin.com/business/sales/profile-best-practices/steps-to-a-better-linkedin-profile

Career Fair

A great opportunity to expand your network more specifically is attending the career fairs offered on campus! Different ways you can prepare for the career fair can be making sure you have the right attire, researching the attending companies, and practicing your elevator pitch. Having the right attire can help you find what makes you most comfortable while appearing professional and put together for recruiters whether or not that is for an internship or a full time job. Going through and putting in some time by researching what companies are attending allows for you to be aware of who you want to talk to and what questions to ask. These questions could be along the lines of “what does a typical day in a certain position look like?” or even “why do you like working for this company?” By asking simple questions like this shows recruiters your interest in their company and learning more about what life is like after college.

Cardinal Career Fair

https://www.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/careercenter/job-fairs-expos/cardinal-job-fair Elevator Pitch Info!

https://www.cmu.edu/career/documents/quick-tips/elevator-pitch.pdf

Mentor

Another great resource that can be useful in preparing for life beyond college is finding a mentor. A mentor is defined as anyone who serves to provide advice, support, guidance and feedback to someone. An example of someone to reach out as a good mentor could be an upperclassmen in a particular program of interest or someone who you admire and want to learn how they got to where they are. Having a mentor allows for you to have the answers to questions from a students’ point of view which can be more relatable and helpful in some situations. Besides upperclassmen there are a ton of different people you can reach out to and who can serve as a mentor to you!

Applying for Jobs or Internship

Although the task of applying for a job or internship can be intimidating, simply applying can provide a ton of great experiences whether you end up with that job / internship or not. Staying organized is very important in the midst of this process and something that can help stay organized is keeping an excel spreadsheet or some kind of list of the company you applied to along with the date, job title, and other important things to remember. By doing this allows for all of your information to be in one place regarding the jobs you applied to and make sure that you keep track of what applications you have.

The transition between a student to maneuvering life beyond college life can look different for everyone and have a ton of different paths, so don’t be afraid to take some of these tips in a different direction that fit what you want your life to be after college!

Student Experiences

There are a magnitude of clubs, sports, and student experiences offered in college. Some of these experiences can be positive and fulfilling while others can be disheartening and draining. You may not find the perfect student experience with the first club you join but as you pursue your undergraduate career you will grow and change and you will be able to find what works and what does not work for you.

College is an amazing time for growth and networking. When you move to college you are surrounded by opportunities to make new friends and try new experiences. It can be exciting but sometimes overwhelming. College is the opportunity to begin to figure out who you are and what you want in life. This can change and vary as you advance through your years at college. You may start as a theater major and change your major 4 or 5 times before you find an area of study that fits with your passions. Welcome week and activity fairs are amazing ways to make new connections and pick up new hobbies. Take advantage of the time you have in college to try new things and learn what you are interested in, good at, and enjoy. You may like something freshman year but then like something entirely different when you are a senior. College changes and shapes you. When you are deciding to join a student organization, be sure to pick something that you enjoy or maybe go to one meeting to see if you would be interested in joining or going to a second meeting.

Choosing a Student Organization

When choosing a student organization for yourself, it is important to ask questions like, “What are you passionate about?” and, “What are some hobbies you enjoy?” For example, if you are a business major, you are surrounded by logic, reason, and professionalism, but who are you outside of your major? Maybe you enjoy singing, dancing, playing sports or you have always had a knack for comedy and acting but never had the chance to embrace those hobbies. College is a great time to join student organizations and pursue passions or hobbies outside of your major. Having hobbies that are different from your major are great ways to expand your mind and give yourself a break from your coursework. Allowing your brain to have a break from coursework and get to do something that you love can help prevent burnout because you are giving yourself a break and letting yourself relax with something you enjoy. Student organizations may not be just about the hobby but also the people or friends in that student organization. Making sure you get to know the people you are in the organization with could be crucial to deciding whether or not to stay in an organization. When joining a club make sure you

can get along with the people in your club, because negative members can cause more stress and worry with your already busy college life. Ensure you enjoy the organization and the other members of the organization you are in.

Involvement in the Student Organizations

Student organizations can be amazing, but sometimes they require more involvement than you have time for. Make sure you are involved and try new experiences, but know that student organizations are supposed to be fun and they come AFTER class AND your personal well-being. Don’t be a “yes” person to everything. If you want to try something and see how it goes, then go for it. But know that you don’t have to stay in anything if it is becoming a time suck. Also, make sure that there is a balance of giving and receiving in the organization. If you are in an organization that is taking a lot of time and draining your energy, it may be time to re-evaluate your position and/or membership. Clubs can be a blast but make sure that your enjoyment outweighs the work that goes into them.

So, why should or shouldn’t you join a student organization?

Let’s take a look at some pros and cons for joining a student organization:

Pros:

- Make friends:

- No matter what year you are, if you are struggling to make friends or meet new people, student organizations are a great way to make friends with people. When you go to a student organization that is something you're interested in, you already have at least one thing in common with everyone in the room.

- Try a new experience:

- If you are someone who likes to try new things, student organizations are great ways to spread your wings and experience new hobbies or learn new skills. Student organizations can be a great way to explore other passions you have and unwind from all the stress of school.

- Networking:

- Not only do you have the opportunity to network and make friends with members in a student organization, you also have the opportunity to connect and meet with guest speakers after discussions. Additionally, if your organization is

collaborating with other organizations you can network with members of other clubs and see if you might want to hangout sometime or work on a project together.

- Professional development:

- Student organizations can help you with your professional development skills. For example, if you are trying to write your resume, most business organizations hold resume workshops before big career fairs.

- Leadership opportunities:

- If you are heavily involved in a student organization and you are looking to make a bigger impact, you could look for leadership opportunities. Getting involved in executive boards are great experiences and they can help you boost your resume. Being in a leadership position gives you the opportunity to learn how to run an organization and work with a team to complete projects and lead meetings through professional presentations or discussions.

Cons:

- Time commitment and limited free time:

- If you are already taking a heavy class load, it can be overwhelming to add additional extracurriculars to your schedule. Student organizations are an additional time commitment especially if you are in a leadership position of the student organization. Sometimes you have gaps in your schedule that you want to fill, however, it is important to take time for yourself and make sure you are building self-care time into your schedule.

- Financial cost:

- Student organizations can be a blast and give you a lot of incredible experiences, however, some of these experiences come with a price. Some student

organizations require dues or membership fees. This is great if you are

committed to joining and staying in the student organization, although if you are just trying to attend a meeting to see what the student organization is like, membership fees may prevent you from being able to attend an initial meeting. - Burnout:

- It is often discussed that students experience burnout in college due to their classes, however, you can also experience burnout from clubs. Having high involvement in clubs can be great, but make sure you are passionate about the club you are in so you don’t burn out or get bored of what you are doing.

- Drama / Poor Leadership:

- Student organizations are a great place to make friendships however, sometimes personal relationships can get convoluted with professional organization

relationships. To prevent drama be sure to separate personal from professional and remember the time and place for your different relationships and topics of conversation.

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All in all, college is a great experience where you truly discover yourself and pave the path for your future. Learning how to manage your life now will set you up for great success in your future endeavors.