By Kelsey Batson
What’s the biggest thing you’ve gained from this semester? How have you grown as a professional and a person? What goals do you have for yourself for next semester?
School can be overwhelming. We’ve all been there, the late nights, tough professors and a never-ending schedule. Where do we find balance?
Last semester was the worst semester I’ve had in college. For the first time I didn’t know how I was going to get everything done and have a social life (we’re PR majors, socializing is practically a necessity). Most of the time school won the battle. This left me feeling a little depressed and I spent a lot of time over the holidays contemplating how I could make this semester better. I came up with three ways this semester will be the best one yet: focus, balance and prioritization.
College can feel like a constant battle for the perfect resume. We sign up for as many activities as we can fit into our schedule. Then, we try to be as involved as possible. All we’re left with is partial commitment and no more clarity on what interests us. My goal this semester is to focus on what I’m good at, creativity and relationships. Do you feel you are a designer? A people person? A reader? A writer? Dial in and work on specific skills.
Once you’ve established ways you thrive, prioritize your activities and give attention to each accordingly. If you’re a writer, focus on writing daily. If you’re a designer, work on understanding the software that you use better and on learning new techniques. If you’re a reader, try to read new material every day, even if it’s just a quick news article. Then, prioritize these activities with other areas of your life. Make it a goal to finish your homework before socializing. Prioritizing your day can help you feel in control.
Finally, find balance. Don’t let yourself get burnt out by focusing too much of your college career on schoolwork. For me, this means that after 10 p.m., anything that can wait gets pushed to the next day. Find time to work out and eat healthy meals. Spend time with your friends, and when you do, don’t let a laptop or phone interfere. Balance can help you feel reenergize yourself before embarking on your next project.
So what does this look like? For me, I’m focused on creativity this semester. I want to work on becoming a better designer and understanding the software. I want to involve myself in activities that bring out my creativity, like crafting and playing piano. I’m working on engaging my creative side every day. I’m trying to find a balance to achieve this by getting to bed on time and creating habits of working out and getting enough sleep.
Now it’s your turn. How can you focus, prioritize and balance your life and make this the best semester yet?
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