For many students, starting at university is one of the best moments of their early adulthood. It’s an exciting time, but between lectures, coursework, part-time jobs and socialising, you may find it challenging to find the right balance between work and life. Undergraduate student Daniele has put together her top tips on how to find time to fit everything in.
Learn to Prioritise
We all know that feeling of having a lot on our plate, which can make us feel stressed. It sounds obvious but making a to-do list can be helpful. If you have deadlines coming up, prioritise your coursework or plans that are approaching sooner first. Not only will it help you be more organised but crossing items off your list will help you feel positive and more productive. If you have a part-time job or are working on a group project, prioritise your individual tasks before you help others with theirs.
Take a Break
No matter how driven you are, constant work can be exhausting and lead to burnout. If you want to maintain working at a good level, it’s essential to let your hair down sometimes too. There is no shame in having a couple of cosy Netflix evenings per week or a night out with your best mates. You may even find that taking a break from your studies helps clear your mind and make you more motivated to get your uni work completed.
Don't be afraid to say "no."
If you are a perfectionist or someone who sometimes struggles with creating boundaries, it can feel difficult to say no. Maybe you’ve been asked to pick up an extra shift in your part-time job or help organise a society event right before an important deadline. Don’t forget that you have the right to say no, and if you’re meeting your deadlines and showing up for work there’s no reason you can’t prioritise time for yourself.
Ask for Help
If you ever feel alone or overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to reach out to someone and ask for help. Everyone is adjusting to life as a uni student, so your friends will have experience of maintaining a balance too and may be able to help you.
Work Smarter, Not Harder
One of the things that my part-time job in hospitality taught me is that you have to discover a strategy to help you complete tasks faster and more efficiently. The sooner you learn how to do more in a shorter span of time, the better the quality of your life will be. Time is money, as they say.
Maintaining the perfect balance between work and life is a skill that will be useful for many years to come after graduation. Through prioritising, knowing when to relax, learning how to create healthy boundaries, asking for help and discovering a sufficient time-saving strategy, you can fit everything in alongside your studies.
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