By Gabriella Risti Ayu.C
We are finally halfway through the semester. University life won’t be too far off from lectures, part-time jobs and some nice days out with friends. It might seem easy, but some people could feel overwhelmed by the amount of assignments given, especially for some people who take on part-time jobs for extra pocket money. Another case is that some people might center themselves too much on studying and never bother to socialize or join any of the university organizations or circles. Some might have difficulties in arranging their time for homework, hanging out with friends, part-time jobs, etc. Now worry-not because in this article we have listed down some tips on how to keep your university’s life in balance.
Join organizations or circles
Joining a university's organization or circle is a great way to get more friends. Especially when that particular organization or circle matches your own interest and personality. You get to connect with new students by sharing your common interests. It is a very flexible way for you who are struggling to socialize in a new university’s environment.
Not only will you get more friends, joining organizations can also help sharpen your teamwork skills and boost up your experiences. Remember that “Life is about balance.” It is important to study, but having no balance might cause you to burn out.
“During high school, I was living in my own social bubble and never willing to interact with others apart from my circle. But suddenly I realized that life can’t go that way. I started to get out of my comfort zone and be more proactive in socializing. One of the ways is by joining a university's organization or circles. I get to have more connections, experiences and a really fun way to socialize ”, says Vionita Suryawijaya, a third year APU student from Indonesia, who shared her thoughts on how useful it is to join a university's organization or circle.
Use an activity planner and set your priority
There are a lot of ways to plan your day. You can use a digital or manual planner based on your preference. Digital planners such as google calendar, notion, or your computer’s stickies can be a great way to get an overview of what you need to do. You can also make your own manual planer on a piece of paper, and decorate it however you want with stickers, coloured pens, glitters and other fun decorations. That way, you can plan your time out between study, organization activities, part-time jobs and some decent days out with friends.
“In terms of scheduling, my go-to app would be Google Calendars. It’s been really handy as it gives me an overview of what events, classes or meetings I have for the day. I also use the sticky notes app on my laptop, to make quick notes of deadlines I have, so that I can view them easily, right there on my screen.” Risane Rizvi, a third year APU student from Bangladesh, who utilizes the use of some digital planners for her schedule explains.
She also mentioned some of her new discoveries of digital activity planner such as Microsoft To-Do which is very useful for scheduling tasks, including attachments and deadline times on it. Another one is Trello which she has begun to use for coordinating and delegating circle activities.
Furthermore, You can also list down your priorities. Why is it important? Because you will find it easier to do things in a more organized scheme. By listing down your goals, you will come up with the small steps on how you will achieve those specific targets. For example, in order to make your time more convenient, prioritize your easy assignments first as you will have more time to do the difficult assignments. Having a visual layout on your hand helps you to be more organized, and makes it easier to to reach some specific goals.
Don’t forget to take some good breaks
Looking after your health is really important. Both mental and physical health, of course! Make sure to get enough sleep and eat healthy foods. Don’t force yourself too much and have a quick nap whenever your body needs some rest. Snacking on some fruits or veggies between classes could be an efficient way to maintain your health. Spend some leisure time to yourself. Call your friends, family or do something that you like. Planning out some nice day out with your friends during your spare time will definitely boost your well-being.
“There are many points when I just feel like quitting, giving up on everything, wanting to pause and just go on a vacation. But I really cannot do that because the sense of responsibility surpasses my individual wants”.
Risane explains that as a coping mechanism she makes sure to spend time with friends, either online or having dinner together.
“Talking with friends about my issues often brings in a different perspective, brings light to things I didn’t notice before, which often helps the situation.” Risane pointed out how taking some decent breaks can cope with all her struggles during her hectic schedule.
So making sure that your body and mind are at the right pace is important to cope with all your busyness.
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