Student Blog: How to Succeed in College Without Really Trying

The concept of time management completely changes in the transition from high school to college. With a new sense of freedom and independence, most students come to college and think managing their free time will be easy. It is quite the opposite.

College is like a taste of adulthood. Like high school, you spend most days attending class and doing homework. Then after school, you have extracurricular activities and spend weekends hanging out with friends. But in college, free time also means grocery shopping, cleaning the apartment, or doing laundry. For some, on top of school work and adult responsibilities, balancing a part-time or full-time work schedule means another responsibility to take care of.

Surviving college means finding the tools to help stay afloat as the waves of responsibility wash ashore, which is just a dramatic way of saying you must find and accept the help you need. Every person has different needs. I found that the best way to manage college life is to follow the three Rs: rest, relaxation, and recharge.

Rest

Everyone loves to make fun of college students for sleeping. It is an overused troupe. While I imagine many students abuse their new freedom to sleep in, skip class, and be irresponsible, plenty of other students spend hours throughout the day and night to get the most out of their college education. If no one else has told you this yet, let me be the one to tell you. GO TO SLEEP. Sleeping will help you study better, feel happier, and overall be a better student. Forcing yourself to stay awake by drinking three cups of coffee or an extra large Redbull will only hurt you in the long run and severely weaken your immune system. Do not even get me started on getting sick in college. Illness runs rampant among college students. Protect yourself and those around you by choosing rest over resilience. Nobody expects 110% all the time, so just be kind to yourself. This brings me to my next tool.

Relaxation

Relaxation. Relaxing means something different to every person. Some students use sleep for relaxation while others like taking baths or reading books. Whatever it is, strategically set time out during the week for relaxing. With finals week just around the corner, prioritizing self-care tends to come last on the to-do list, but it is just as important as studying. As I said before, taking care of yourself can only help your performance in school. So sit down, light a candle, and treat yourself to some relaxation time because you deserve it.

Recharge

Once you are done with relaxation, it is time to recharge. Recharge with an activity that excites passion and restores that sense of motivation. Paint, go out for a walk, or spend time with your friends. One of my favorite ways to recharge is to make my favorite food or go out to my favorite restaurant. There is nothing like the feeling you get eating your favorite food after a long, stressful week. I immediately feel recharged with joy, happiness, and yummy food. Make a list of all the activities that recharge you, revisit that list whenever motivation feels low and get excited to manage that hectic college life like a pro.

Try practicing the three Rs. Believe me, following the rules of rest, relaxation, and recharge can help you navigate the stressors that come with being a college student. Overall, the moral of the story is to prioritize self-care. Listen to your body and be kind to yourself, especially with final exams coming up. College is hard enough already, so remember to treat yourself with kindness and continue to be the best version of you. Good luck with finals, or as we say in the theatre, break a leg!

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