Love, Lucy is the New School Free Press’ weekly advice column, where writers anonymously share thoughtfully researched solutions to your questions about life. Send submissions through Love, Lucy’s official Google Form, and you might hear back from Lucy herself.
Dear Lucy,
How do I balance my school, work, and personal life?
From,
Stressed-out
Dear Stressed-out,
Balancing it all is a juggling act; no one answer fits all solutions here. Everyone’s situation is different. Therefore, everyone’s solution is different. I will give you various possibilities for managing it all, but remember that some of these may not work for you and your workload. You mentioned school, work, and personal life, which all require time and effort. Knowing how to make time and where and when to put in the effort is the key to balancing those three things.
Consider for a moment how much time each one takes up. Then, consider the time spent trying to find the energy to get it all done. I imagine it’ll be longer than the time it takes to actually get it done, whether it be that 60 pages of reading, that five-page essay, or that three-hour date with your friend. Now subtract that from the time it takes to deal with school or work, and you have the time you ideally should be spending on it.
If you practice time management, you’ll save yourself a lot of time and stress. The hardest part about time management is discipline, so hopefully, the following tips will help discipline you, Stressed-out, so you’re not so stressed out.
- Rearrange your schedule to fit your needs.
Perhaps you need to move some things around or limit your workload. Changing your course schedule is probably the easiest way to go, but talk to your academic advisor before doing so — that way, you can stay on track with your graduation requirements. Full-time undergraduate students typically take 12-18 credits per semester, so if you are taking 15+ credits, consider dropping a class. If you work part-time, 12-15 credits per semester is relatively manageable, though this depends entirely on the student.
Another option is to talk to your manager about adjusting your work schedule so you don’t get behind in class. If you work a part-time job or hold an internship outside of school, “you should aim for no more than twenty hours of work per week,” according to Honor Society, an organization dedicated to academic and professional success.
If you hold a job at The New School, you are limited to up to 20 working hours per week when classes are in session and 35 hours per week when classes are not in session. However, based on personal experience, anywhere between 10 and 15 hours per week is ideal.
Note: You can get credit for any internship by filling out an Experience Learning Agreement on Handshake, TNS Career Services’ new platform in replacement of HireNew. Students can get anywhere from one to six credit hours, depending on the internship. See Career Services for more information.
- Have a system for managing your time.
If you don’t already use a calendar or agenda, I highly recommend you start. Many people use Google Calendar to input their classes, appointments, events, and other information. You could also use a digital platform like Notion to organize and manage your workload. If you prefer writing things down, purchase an agenda at your local Target or school supply store. There are several in the city. Check out Paper Source on Fifth Avenue near the University Center, for example.
- Carve out slots of time for specific tasks.
Using your chosen system(s) to manage your school, work, and life, carve out time slots for each task or event. Be sure to prioritize assignments and tasks based on importance and due date. For example, if you have an assignment due at 11:59 p.m. and one due at 5:00 p.m. the following day, prioritize that 11:59 p.m. assignment.
I like to create a to-do list for the week and a daily schedule for myself using Notion to ensure I’m being productive. I also like to carve out time for myself and my friends using that same system. It is important to make time for your life, whether for a night alone or with friends, as “time off provides a chance for personal reflection, emotional well-being, academic exploration and employment experience.” Research shows that taking breaks from work or school can improve your academic performance and allow for personal growth, as outlined in the Stanford Daily.
- If nothing seems to work, seek support.
If you find yourself drowning in too much work, talk with your Student Success advisor or utilize the University Learning Center (ULC), or talk to Student Health Services (SHS) for counseling. Sometimes, talking to someone with the knowledge and resources to help you in times of need is beneficial. If a particular class is causing you trouble, speak to the professor or any one of your favorite professors on campus.
The ULC has tutoring services, time management appointments, and ADHD coaching. To book an appointment, visit their portal to reserve one.
To book a counseling session with someone from SHS, visit the SHS Portal. SHS provides many services, from individual and group counseling to acupressure. If you are interested in individual counseling, the first 10 sessions with SHS are free. SHS also makes referrals if you prefer to get counseling elsewhere or if you do not want to wait, as SHS has a huge waitlist for individual counseling.
Try some of these solutions, and see what works best for you and your situation. One of these is bound to make your life a little easier in at least one aspect. Remember, time management is a skill that takes practice — no one is perfect at it, so if you find it difficult at first, don’t give up. You got this, Stressed-out! Thank you for your question, and I wish you the best of luck this fall.
Love,
Lucy