As an intern who is also wrapping up my final semester of school, keeping up with daily must do’s has become a challenging task. Staying on top of school assignments, projects at work, and still being social (if/when time permits) can at times seem like a juggling act. Below are some tips that have helped me manage my time so I can stay on top of assignments and still have time on the weekends for fun.
Keep a Calendar
If you don’t already have one, create a Google calendar- like right now. This has been my most valuable tool for the last four years of my college life. Anything and everything goes into my Google calendar. Events are color coded so I can quickly see if I have any school assignments due, important meetings at work, or if there is a concert coming up that I don’t want to miss. If a particular event is really important, set up a reminder for it.
Make a Weekly To-do List
Making a weekly to-do list ensures that no assignment gets overlooked. Decide when you need to start working on an assignment so you aren’t working on it last minute. Weekly to-do lists are good for when I feel completely overwhelmed by everything I have to do in one week. Writing out everything I have to do in a daily format breaks down all of my seemingly impossible weekly tasks, and makes them seem more feasible. Typically I only have 2-3 assignments/tasks I have to focus on each day, which is easier to digest than constantly thinking about the 20+ things you must do by the end of the week.
Make Time for Mental Break
For me- having a mental break is vital when working on tasks that are mentally draining. I like to recharge by going to the park, exercising in the gym, grabbing coffee with a friend, or getting in a quick bike ride. Taking a mental break is good because when I do come back to my work, I feel great, and I can devote 100% of my energy towards the task at hand. Sometimes I get so busy I seemingly have no time for a mental break. In these situations, I find that by not taking a break the quality of my work suffers, and it takes me longer to complete tasks. Now I make sure to take a mental break when I need it no matter how little time I have. Just 10 minutes of meditation can make a notable difference in the quality of my work.
When things get crazy, just remember that you can get through it all. Sometimes you may need to isolate yourself in a study area like you are in Fort Knox, but hard work pays off. There is nothing more satisfying than crossing items off your to-do list and being free for the weekend.
Final Note: Don’t Get So Stressed That You Start Throwing Pizza On Roofs
…just don’t do it. Eventually you will have to get on a ladder to clean the mess you have made- not to mention the perfectly good pizza that will be spoiled in the process.