By Leslie Valdivia @dilechica
College students are always on go! Students are constantly heading to class, to work, to visit family, to college games and an occasional party or two.
Thinking back on my college days, I was no different. All I remember was being extremely busy- especially the last couple of semesters, while being a full-time student, actively involved in my sorority, working part-time on campus and having two internships all at the same time. Looking back, there were three main things that helped me get through it.
- Stay organized: To me, this is the most important thing in being successful in time management and in life really. The way I stayed and continue to stay organized is using a planner EVERY SINGLE DAY. I literally can’t live without it. I am like a chicken with no head running around without my planner and it was a huge component on how I was able to manage multiple things as a student. My secret is to schedule almost every component of your day. What I mean by this is to include things like eating breakfast, getting ready, class, meetings, social gatherings, dinner time and even showering. Yes, I said showering. Make sure to also include the time frame you plan to accomplish every task. Seeing it on paper helps you not to procrastinate, plan ahead and most importantly, not forget the small details. I would never understand when friends would say they forgot they had a quiz until they showed up to class. If you have a planner that you actively use, you never have to sweat the small stuff.
- Stay calm:The worst thing we can do when we have a lot of things going on is to panic. When people panic and start freaking out because of all the things they have to do, they shut down. One of the reasons people start to panic is because they are not organized. Which brings me to my first point, when you use a planner, it avoids a lot of panic attacks. Additionally, when you are feeling overwhelmed, go outside. Take a little walk. Breathe. Meditating and focusing on the positives of your life can help you stay calm during the hard and stressful times.
- Have supportive people: Sometimes you just need someone to rant to. Having people around you that care for you can do the spirit a lot of good. Sometimes we doubt ourselves of our own abilities, and sometimes we need to hear a positive affirmation from someone we care about. You don’t need people who doubt you or will talk about bad about you at your lowest. Say goodbye to those relationships.
Being a college student is a great experience. You learn immensely about yourself and skills you will use for the rest of your life. Time management and dealing with stress come as we get older and enter the workforce. Being busy was a good thing, it means you are doing things to get ahead. Keep at it and you will see the results!
Leslie Valvidia graduated from California State University, Sacramento in Communication Studies: Public Relations and currently works for a non-profit in Sacramento, CA. Leslie also founded Dile Chica, a Latina millennial lifestyle blog.
University Plan 