Keeping stability on the balance beam of life

College is all about balance and the balance beam is life.

College students have so much weight on their shoulders that can cause them to lose their balance and stray off course. Students are being pulled in multiple directions on a day-to-day basis.

Devoting time to studying, tutoring, being tutored, seeing your family and even sleeping is draining.

Time management and fitting everything into a weekly schedule is probably one of the most difficult tasks in college. Juggling multiple responsibilities while maintaining hobbies such as playing a sport, attending club meetings, having a social life and having time for yourself can be a hassle.

Keeping track of all of your assignments and extracurriculars can be difficult to do as well.

So the question becomes: What is the easiest way to make time for all of the things that you want to participate in?

There are multiple answers to this question. According to the U.S. News and World Report, college students need to learn how to manage their academic time.

The report stated, “Even though you may have a million other things going on, it’s important to remind yourself why you’re in college in the first place: to graduate. Consequently, your academic work should always come first when it comes to prioritizing your time.

“When looking at your schedule for the week, figure out what your academic commitments look like. What time do you have classes? How much homework do you have to do? What assignments are due? When do you have major exams or quizzes?”

Keeping track of schoolwork becomes easier if an individual writes assignments down on a calendar or in a notebook and crosses them off as they are completed. Some people become easily overwhelmed with schoolwork and in other areas of their lives. In order to avoid this they should try to complete one task one by one and not all assignments in the same day or night.

If you do not have time to hang out with your friends during the week due to the amount of school work that you need to get done, you can study with your friends and accomplish two tasks at once.

Wilkes University students had a lot to say when asked the question: “How do you make time to see your friends, participate in extracurricular activities, while keeping your grades up at the same time?”

“I try my best to do this by creating a weekly schedule, in order to get all of my work completed while still having time for my friends and other responsibilities,” sophomore Adrianna Fiore stated.

Wilkes University student Myles Webb explained, “My school work is my main priority. I keep track of my assignments based off of a weekly written log I have created in a planner, I then make time for my extracurricular activities and then my friends.” College is a balance beam and the good news is that eventually, everyone will learn how to keep their balance.