This may seem counter to all my [insanely structure-based] tips earlier, but sometimes you just need to…
Blow your schedule out the window.
Jon Acuff says, “Stop glorifying busy.”
I knew people in college who worshipped busy–who refused to believe anyone was busier than them. It’s ridiculous. Don’t get caught up in the fad to drive yourself insane and run yourself to the ground. Organizing your life will help that not be a legitimate problem–most weeks, anyway–but also knowing when enough is enough and having boundaries to being busy will save you a lot of craziness.
Sometimes it’s right to throw obligations out the window and do a fake Doctor Who photoshoot, or run away to Chattanooga, or make a day trip to Target and Hobby Lobby and Cracker Barrel with your roommate. Sometimes it’s good to forget about being academically productive for a few hours. Sometimes it’s right to drive to Atlanta and catch a Shakespearean play. Sometimes it’s right to get Zaxby’s and watch the sunset and dance with your friends.
Some of my best memories from college come from the times when I said enough was enough and let myself just have some good, guilt-free fun. So do that!
Additionally:
Look out for your mental health, and you’ll be surprised how everything else falls into place.
- Communicate with supervisors, professors, or older students if you ever find yourself freaking out or falling behind. By just communicating honestly, you’ll earn a lot of respect.
- Seek healthy communities and put your time there. Your time is super precious and it is not worth wasting in negative places. Seek out the people who make you feel optimistic and awesome and form bonds with them. Make sure you’re being poured into more than you’re giving out, whenever it’s possible.
- If it gets rough, seek counseling. When I finally admitted I needed help and accepted that seeking counseling did NOT mean I was 1) crazy, 2) needy, or 3) weak, I was greatly, greatly rewarded. I saw someone regularly during my fall semester junior year and she was a big reason I was able to study and thrive abroad. I went in drained beyond my limits, and left confident and relaxed and content. The results were amazing, and I highly recommend it if you ever feel like you’re in way over your head (and ESPECIALLY if something–God forbid–traumatic happens during your time in college). It’s time and money WELL spent.
Thus ends my tips for surviving college.
Other tips: Keep a Calendar, Make Lists, and Rest Intentionally/Work in Bursts.
