Walking from class to class, I find myself having the same conversation whenever I run into a friend. They ask the typical “How are you?” question and I am quick to respond with “Busy and tired.”
Their typical response is “Hang in there!” or “You deserve a nap.” After one month of classes and the same exchange in conversations, I am disappointed in myself for pitying my busy schedule and making it seem terrible, when in reality, it is doable and having a busy schedule is something for which to be thankful.
If you have heard junior year is the hardest year in college, you have heard right. Internships, part-time jobs and homework paired with trying to maintain a social life — and for commuters, all the time spent in traffic — will consume you, but it is a challenge you should welcome and conquer instead of trembling at the thought of it.
Take my advice and learn from my mistake: stop using your busy schedule as an excuse for turning in assignments late, bailing on plans, having poor work performance or for not putting your best effort into your classes.
Although you may have a lot on your plate, if you portion it right and take small bites at a time, you are going to realize you have finished everything and you will find yourself with an empty plate.
Time management is the most crucial component of college. Grab a planner and write your assignments in for the next month, work on a project in pieces instead of the night before and schedule your free time.
Even though you’re busy, stop complaining about it because I guarantee you there are people who would love to have the internship you do, to be as involved on campus as you are, or even to have the opportunity to go to a university to gain an education.
After college has passed and we have entered into our lifelong careers, someone will always want to have our position, and if we are fortunate enough to hold it, why not take advantage of every task we have? If we don’t start to work hard and cross off boxes on our to-do lists, someone else will. Having a busy schedule is not terrible, and it is time for students to have a different mindset on it.
