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I had these in my first year of college and thought I would pass them along to my fellow classmates.
How do we find a proper balance that will allow us to excel in each aspect of our lives?
Tip #1
Family Meeting: Conduct a family meeting with the members of your household. Discuss how daily schedules, chores, and other responsibilities may shift now that you are in school working toward your degree. Delegate tasks to others so that you will have more time to complete your school work. Explain that it is a temporary situation and the resulting benefits to the family that a degree can provide will be worth the sacrifices.
Tip #2
Choose a satisfying career path. Finding and maintaining balance in your lifel means finding work that reflects who you are, and what you truly believe in. Simply stated, happiness requires a sense of purpose. Ask yourself, “What is most important to me? What occupation will give my work meaning?”
Tip #3
Save a day for yourself. You are busy working during the day, doing your schoolwork in the evenings, and spending time with your family on the weekends. Time for yourself is important for maintaining balance in your life, so try not to neglect yourself. Save at least one day a week to do the things you want to do instead of those things you need to do. You will feel refreshed and ready to conqure the world.
Tip #4
Let the housework go. Ask yourself, “What is the worst thing that could happen it I don’t vacuum the carpet today?” or “Is it possible I could the laundryon another day when I don’t have so much reading to do?” Save time and energy by ordering out for pizza on those nights when you have a lot of reading to do. Or better yet, delegate household chores to other family members, relieving you of these duties altogether. Keep the goal of GRADUATION firmly planted in your mind and do whatever it takes to make schoolwork a priority in your house.
Tip #5
Complete tasks right away. For example, whenever you receive an email, decide right then whether to respond to it or delete it. People who “do it now” are more efficient than people who wait till a later date to complete their daily tasks.
Tip #6
Get rid of unnecessary “stuff”. Clutter around the house and office makes demands on your life. If it does not serve a purpose get rid of it. With less “stuff” to take care of, you will feel more relaxed and you will focus on what is really important. For example, sort through papers sitting on or around your computer workstation to see what really needs to be there. If it’s not important, toss it.
Tip #7
Ask for help when you need it. You are not alone on your journey through life. There are people available to support you and guide you when you get lost or feel overwhelmed. Make sure to utilize your support system. Some who can help are family members, friends, co-workers, classmates, academic advisors, and even community services.
Tip #8
AVOID THE GUILT TRIP! Dont’ beat yourself up or feel guilty about not being able to spend as much time at work, or with family and friends as you used to. You made a decision to go to college to earn your degree. That’s important. Replace the guilt with pride that you are on a path to accomplish your goal of GRADUATION. Use your critical thinking skills to make decisions about how you choose to spend your time, and then stick with it! YOU CAN DO THIS!
Betty Ray-Mydland
Student
Ashworth Criminal Justice Program
