How to Balance Life in College

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cengage Unlimited. The opinions and text are all mine.

Heading into my junior year of college and first year in the business school (where I'll finally start taking relevant classes to my major!) I'm already stressed about how I'm going to balance my social life with school, a job, blogging, exercising, and breathing all year.

This is my first semester at school taking more than four classes and having a job on campus. Since I was admitted to the business school, I have to take a certain number of classes during my first two semesters (this coming fall and spring) and then I also decided to apply for and happily got a job at the data management/research center on campus doing website management and "specialization." I decided to do this because I spent my entire summer being a "corporate communications intern" and telling people that no, I don't want to major in communications, I'm leaning towards information systems and computer science... so I probably need to put something more relevant to that on my resume :)

So... that said... it's going to take some serious dedication and time-management skills to do well in school, take time for work, find a routine that includes blogging, exercising, maintaining a social life, and taking care of myself too. I find that the busier I am and the more I have on my plate, the more productive I am, but it is nevertheless a balancing act that requires a little organization and planning.

Here are my three top tips for balancing everything in college:

Stay organized | There is no better way to keep everything top of mind and likely to be accomplished than by writing out a to-do list, putting it in your planner, or making a daily schedule. I usually make a rough schedule in the notes on my phone every night before bed of what I want to accomplish the next day. This includes blocking off time to work out, blog, get sh*t done, and get back in bed at a decent time to relax. Of course, things don't always go as planned, but having an idea of what you want to and need to do is a great way to set up a balanced day and to not forget what needs to get done. I also write everything down in  my planner (just ordered this one—shout out to Shannon for the cutest/most organized/perfect for college girls planner design!) or on the calendar app on my phone, like assignments, due dates, trips, appointments, etc. so I know what days and times I'm busy or free to make plans.

Utilize your resources | Taking an online class this summer has reminded me how much I love online study resources. In my Econ class last semester, we used a resource called MindTap to hand in all of our homework, take quizzes, and find practice materials, which was so ideal for a class that requires you to fit so much information in your brain. When I saw that the same company, Cengage, has a new Unlimited Subscription Service where you can access all your Cengage course materials online with study guides, study tools, and a print rental with one affordable subscription, I had a feeling this would be something I want to use this coming school year. No matter how many courses you enroll in, or how many ebooks you use, the price stays the same. You can keep up to 6 ebooks in your digital locker and access them anytime for up to a year! I'm pretty bad about reading assigned materials in general, but I blame that on just never carrying my textbooks with me because they're heavy and take up so much space... Having the option to access them online in one spot is going to be amazing for academic success this year as I take more business classes with undoubtedly lots of required reading. Click here to learn more!

Find a buddy | Whether you need someone to grab lunch with, go to the library to with, or hit the gym with, everything is easier and more motivating if someone else is counting on you! I know there are always Saturdays when I wanted nothing more than to stay in bed, but if I promised a friend I would meet her at the gym or for a study sesh in the afternoon, I was much more likely to follow through on a plan than motivate myself to go be productive alone. Plus, everything is more fun with a friend!

This post was sponsored by Cengage Unlimited, but all opinions are my own! Thank you for reading, as always!

How do you balance your priorities in college? I'd love to hear your tips!
xoxo