Balancing the life of a full time student (a full time job) with that of an RA/ARC/DSM/HD (a full time job) is no easy task. Post how you keep organized, maintain flexibility, and manage stress in these hectic times.
Remember, you’re not crazy, you’re sane in a crazy world. It may seem overwhelming at times, but remember that other people have gone through the same thing you are, and they have succeeded! You can too.
Please Comment on two other people's posts, and have all your posts done by December 11th, (Sunday night).
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11 comments:
During super hectic times I constantly make lists. I make a list of everything I have to do and then each day I make a list of things to do that day and somewhat in order.
I also write every event/meeting and important thing in my calendar.
To stay flexible I nap a lot. This way I can be available in the evenings or early mornings for meetings/group projects etc and will nap when I have a chance.
As for stress, I nap and spoil myslef. I eat/buy better food, I eat more often, I take more time making espresso and make sure to sit down to enjoy it. Also I make sure to not completely isolate myself all of the time. I appreciate the small amount of time I get to spend with friends and co workers!
I am a very organized person (In My Honest Opinion). To stay organized I utilize Outlook a lot. Without it I wouldn't remember to eat dinner. I have emails from 3 email accounts directed to it, as well as my slickdeals. It has my schedule for everyday and reminds me 30 minutes prior to when I need to be some place (it's even color coded). And I put in tasks into the task area to remind me to do specific things sometimes that I can mark as being a certain percentage completed. I also write down all my school assignments in my agenda/calendar/planner and keep it open and on my desk when I'm in my room and in my backpack when I leave. I keep a binder with a folder for every class in my backpack as well.
To stay flexible is easier with a planned out schedule because I can see where things can be moved or switched around and since everything is color coded I know which things have priority and are more important. With as much as I like to plan, and with such a full schedule it’s hard to stay flexible some times, but I try to go with the flow as much as possible, but I usually regret it because I know that doing that takes away time from my academics….which is what I believe is part of why I don’t have any certifications yet.
To manage my stress I try to allow myself the very occasional vice of playing a game or watching a movie or tv show. They relax me so much and give my mind a little rest from the hours without breaks I take to work on school/work stuff. I almost never have the time to give up 1 hour to play a video game though, I only watch movies when Alyssa visits, and I only watch “The Office” which is 30 minutes once a week, and I usually miss it and have to watch my PC DVR recording…which is fine. I like to think that I can handle stress pretty well though, or at least I can take quite a lot of it before I break down. I’d say I’ve never been as stressed as I was my senior year of high school though, so that’s good.
I feel like I am constantly in survival mode and honestly I don't know if I deal with stress very well, but I guess somehow I manage cause I'm still living.
Hecticity (is that word?): I use my planner religiously. Everything going on in my life has to be in my planner or my mind will blank out completely.
Stress: Prayer is the only thing that can calm me down in the worst of times. Otherwise dancing does a pretty good job at getting my mind off of everything!
Flexible: I'm a pretty flexible person in general but sleep helps too. The happier the mood im in, the more willing I am to be flexible :)
MIA: I wish I could eat as healthy/organic/exotic/cultured as you. I feel like it would make my day more enjoyable if I could sit down and enjoy my food- not at the commons.
ADAMME: I can relate to you with the tv thing. I find that when I come back to my room from a long day of class, even if I can have the TV on for 30 min, it just allows me to relax and unwind. Sometimes brains need a break.
I haven't been an RA for too long and I already see that things can get very hectic at times with school work and trying to manage everything else. I try to keep organized by using my phone to keep track of everything that I need to do for the week. I am still trying to figure out what works best for me. As far as managing stress goes, nothing relieves stress better for me than going to the gym and working out. Its my own little escape from the rest of the world and it allows me to focus on one thing and not get overwhelmed with everything else.
Mia- I like the idea of sitting down and enjoying your espresso. Sometimes when things get busy, I feel like enjoying the little things can make a world of difference. Oh and gotta love naps :)
Adamme-It sure seems like your on top of things, I just might have to try out Outlook for organizing my schedule.
To avoid stress during hectic times I always accept the fact that is nothing that I can do, other than remain calm and deal with it day-by-day. I find myself getting more done when I set deadlines for myself each day of the week.
I stay most organized by using Outlook to keep track of my schedule because it sends me notifications 15 minutes before I'm supposed to be somewhere/do something. For academics, I keep track of that in a seperate planner - to avoid confusion.
I find myself escaping by going to the gym and working out. It releases any built up frustration that I may have. I also use my friends as an escape because when I'm with them it's almost like I lose track of time. It's nice to hang out with them because most are not in Housing, so it's nice to talk with someone about something other than Housing.
I maintain flexibility by being available via email, text message, or phone calls. I believe allowing more ways to communicate opens the window of flexibility and allows me to communicate effectively in more than one way.
Mia- I envy that you can find time to nap, and eat healthy. Those are two things that I wish I could challenege myself to do.
Nolan- I agree with going to the gym. The gym allows a temporary escape from all reality. I can't even explain the feeling of a great workout.
I feel it's very obvious that I don't deal with stress very well, and on top of that - I just get stressed very easily.
I also am a huge fan of lists, when I feel a huge wave of stress coming, I make a giant list of everything that needs to be done in my classes, that way I see it all in one place, versus seeing it spread out through a number of days.
In general, I'm a pretty flexible person, despite how busy I may be, I try to keep myself available for others. I usually put down whatever I'm doing to help someone if needed.
I'm extremely emotional - honestly, if I'm feeling overwhelmed and exhausted I just cry.. a lot. And once that's done, I usually sleep it off and then start my next day refreshed. Sometimes during the weekend, I take all of Saturday off and do absolutely nothing, which scares me sometimes because of the work load I have, but it's just needed sometimes.
Mia - I also wish I could eat like you, I feel like treating my body better would lead to treating my mind better.
Brett - I also always have my phone on, which does make me more available to others. It's a great way to quickly get a hold of someone!
The main way I keep organized is that I keep all my events in my Google Calendar. Basically Google controls my life. I have 3 email accounts that all filter through one master Gmail that syncs perfectly with my calendar. I also have an Android based phone that allows me to check my email and calendar on the go where ever I am. I am flexible because I don't do much outside of academics and RA stuff.
For me, as most of all of you know, the way that I manage stress is through playing games. I've used video games as an escape from the rigorous real world. It's my "pause" button.
Adamme - I applaud your organization. It it truly magnificent and unparalleled. I wish I had as much commitment as you to stay organized.
Mia/Laura - Both of you seem to accomplish a lot when you write down your tasks into list forms. It's remarkable. Whenever I see a list, I wonder how much time I can spend wasting before I HAVE to get started on it. :p
During the crazy times...When i get stressed out i usually lift weights to relieve the stress. Than i make a list of whats to do and sit down and do that. As many of you know i also picked up smoking which is, for me, a great stress relievers although kelly says i wont ever get a girlfriend ;). To stay flexible with everything i usually make more coffee which i know isnt the greatest thing for my body but it wakes me up and keeps me going.
Adamme- your a stud. One day i hope i can be as organized as you. I try to cram everything into my little tiny brain and i generally forget things and then i have to pull all nighters. Good job sunny, keep it up.
Lauren- keep it up girl, you got this. Your gonna be doing some pretty amazing things after college..i just know it. Keep your head up and keep rockin and rollin.
Brett- I totally agree that working out is a total stress reliever. I really need to remember that when I'm stressed and busy. It's hard to make time for that when I'm busy even though it would make me feel better and be more productive!
Laura- I like to take days off too. I think it is really important to do that but I am somewhat like you in the way that it makes me nervous/scared that I'm doing it because I know I have a lot to do. Nonetheless- days off are important!
keep organized, maintain flexibility, and manage stress in these hectic times.
How I keep organized is by utilizing a lot of lists and reminders. Sticky-notes are organized in little groups all over my desk and I always have my planner/calendar with every important event written down along with my homework assignments and I even make countdowns to days that I have tests or critiques so I have enough time set aside to study and prepare for projects.
How I maintain flexibility is by being enthusiastic and positive along with being nocturnal so I have more time to work during the day. Keeping track of every open moment that I have is really important too, so I can use my extra time efficiently.
How I manage stress is I go on long runs. I have time to think about things, take time to pray, and work out frustrations. I don't feel any stress at all when I'm running 7 miles and watching the sunset. It's AWESOME!
Mia: I love how you always eat awesome food. It's certainly a great stress reliever!
Lauren: I'm all with you on the praying. It never fails to help me in precarious or stressful situations.
Thanks everyone for posting. I believe that this is the first blog since September that everyone has posted on by the deadline. It's fitting that it's about time management! Way to manage your time and responsibilities!
I don't have too many new ideas to add. I am a list junky and typically have a few different ones going at the same time because I love the satisifaction that comes with crossing things off them. Sometimes I add things that I've already done just to feel that feeling. :)
In addition, I use my Outlook calendar in the same way as Adamme. Plus having and iPad now allows me more flexibility to stay connected and organized.
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