Students blog

College is one of the busiest times of my life. I wake up early to get ready and drive about an hour to get to school. I go to bed late at night after studying and preparing for class the next day. This process was repetitious for the past three years. I was limited on time and had to weigh the pros and cons of everything that took up space in my planner. I began to choose quality over quantity and it taught me how to value and prioritize my schedule better. Here are my tips to prioritize like a pro.

Be Selective

To make the most use of my time, I had to become selective about the commitments I made. This included the organizations I joined, who I could devote time to, and which classes were going to get most of my attention. I had to narrow down the most important tasks that needed immediate attention and the people who matter most. There were times I wished I could be in two places at once, but I had to decide which one would take precedence.

Set Priorities

In setting priorities, I learned to evaluate the quality of an event, task, accomplishment, and friendship. If something is poor quality, it will not endure for long. College allowed me the opportunity to really put this into practice and determine what was best for the long run. I would have to make tough decisions not only for those moments but also for my future goals.

Balance Both

There are times when quantity is needed but we must not skimp out on the quality. Quantity may be needed during the busier times of the semester. It is important to be able to balance both quantity and quality in life. However, it is more important to know when the right timing is to choose one over the other and discern its value.

It is important to find your focus in life, and prioritize things that really matter. Choose quality over quantity.

I graduated recently from the University of Houston, and towards the end I sometimes felt like I was stumbling towards the finish line. That final semester was blur of arduous nights of studying, rushed mornings, and caffeine breaks in between. I balanced taking a full load of 15 credits, working an internship, staying active in my community, and making time for meetings, events, as well as the people who are important to me. While the busy schedule I maintained throughout the semester took a big toll on me physically and emotionally, looking for ways to find balance helped me not only to survive, but to thrive.  The rewarding satisfaction resulting from my busy schedule quickly paid off when I saw the positive outcomes at school, work, and the events I attended. Although I was always on-the-go, I did not want to miss out on any of these opportunities and my last semester turned out to be the most rewarding semester of my undergraduate career.

For someone who is a busybody like myself, I find it a challenge to not keep moving because I am always on-the-go. In the midst of a busy schedule, I have learned the importance of finding balance and what it means to recharge. It is so easy to lose sight of what matters most at times because of our hectic schedules, making us forget to take a closer look into healthy living. Seeking creative ways to take a break from those schedules and deadlines helped refresh my drive to accomplish as much as I could before graduation day.

In a fast-paced world, relaxation could often be overlooked and mistaken for idleness when relaxation is necessary for a healthy lifestyle. We all need to recharge ourselves from time to time. Relaxation could be taking a day to rejuvenate by sleeping in, taking a nap, going for a walk, traveling, or having some quiet time.

I find that whenever I make time to relax, I can accomplish things better than working on sleep deprivation and exhaustion. If one is not able to focus, it is best to return to the task after taking a short break while doing something that is therapeutic. Productivity is very important in achieving successful results, but cannot happen when one’s stress radar is ragingly high. Therefore, finding and maintaining balance in life is an absolute necessity. How do you find a balance between work, school, and fun?