A Nap Infographic I Did For Class.

A Nap Infographic I did for class.

Because Naps are important.

one of the hardest things to do as a college student is managing your time. you have friends to hang out with, parties to go to, papers to write, exams to study for, classes to attend, netflix shows to binge, and jobs to work. you only have 168 hours in a week, how the hell are supposed to get all this done? 

*although this post is mainly targeted towards college/university students, I’m sure people at any age will find this helpful! 

plan, plan, and plan

literally, the most boring and adult thing ever is planning. Just like anything though, if you want your planner to work for you, you actually have to use it. you gotta actually take it with you to class, take it out when the professor tells you about an upcoming down, and write it down (shocker, i know.) Thanks to the internet, there are many ways to make this more fun and creative! There are so many cute planners and journals out there. Find one and make it work for you! 

planners to check out: bullet journals, ban.do planners, big sky planners, happy planner, passion planner, rifle paper co. planner, kikki k planners, erin condren life planner, filofax planner 

read your syllabus 

the most important part of doing well is reading your syllabus!! when you get it, write down the important dates in both your monthly calendar and your daily/weekly spread. Use reminders for exams and projects as deadlines approach. You do not want to be that person who forgot about the midterm because you didn’t read the syllabus. 

create a schedule. 

this doesn’t have to be an intense schedule of what you’re doing every minute of the day, but a rough sketch of what your week typically looks like. I had to do this as an assignment in my communications class and let me tell you, it was a life saver. I made this one in exel but I’ve started using google calendars as well! (or you can check out this awesome printable pack by @sara-laughed). It’s a great way for figuring out when/how you’re going to do things.

be realistic and prioritize. 

if you need an hour every night to do absolutely nothing, give yourself the time for it. It’ll make your life a lot less complicated when you accept the fact that you will not function unless you get time to relax. 

This also means saying no to fun plans for the sake of getting your work done. you’re here to get an education. Instead of spending the day going shopping or playing video games with friends, try going to a nice cafe or library with them instead! You’ll at least get some work done, and you’ll also get to hang out and goof off with your friends. 

break it down. 

Break down large assignments into smaller junks and spread them out over the time you have to do the assignment. Same goes simple textbook reading. A 45 page chapter is pretty daunting, but if you break it down into 15 page chunks over the course of a week, it’s not too bad. This will a) prevent burnout and b) help you get things done if you have a busy schedule. 

take it with you. 

if you take the bus to get to campus or to work, you’ve got a lot of time to work on stuff there. You don’t have to pull out your textbooks and start reading, but perhaps reviewing notes/flashcards or brainstorming ideas for your project will be a good use of that time. Those 30 minute bus rides can be a black hole for time. Make it a gold mine instead. 

just do it

Ultimately, your success is up to you. All the planning and scheduling in the world can’t make a difference if you don’t just sit down and do the work. Getting started is always the hardest part. Promise yourself you’ll work for at least 15 minutes. If after 15 minutes you’re not into it, take a breather or move on to another task. 

still having trouble? 

go talk to a counselor, advisor, or trusted professor. They’re here to help you and they want you to succeed. Maybe working 20 hours a week as a full time student just isn’t the best option for you. You have tons of resources available at your university. Use them. 

tips:

learn your learning style your life will be so much easier once you understand what works for you. 

know what you have to do. I like to make a to do list everyday, but if you’re using your planner correctly, that should be good enough. 

check out some apps to help minimize procrastination and distractions

keep some school/office work with you at all times. that 30 minute wait at the doctor’s office? boom. study session. you can cross that off your to do list

mess around with your schedule. try doing different things at different times. Maybe going grocery shopping at 3 pm when everyone and their mother is doing the same thing isn’t the best idea. 

helpful links: 

surviving college

time management strategies 

getting your shit together by yours truly

a great pdf on time management

my tag on study tips 

my tag on productivity

my tag on time management 

other posts by me

every time someone tries to tell me pursuing my passions is a waste of time it only makes me more determined to beat the system and show them I can be whatever the fuck I wanna be

10 Traits that lead to Success

1. Independence 2. Self-confidence 3. Persistence 4. Creative thinking 5. Being thick skinned 6. Knowing who you are and what you want from life 7. Setting clear goals – and going after them 8. Being focused 9. Optimism 10. Passion and enthusiasm.

A’s before baes

This is a matter very close to my heart. I have bipolar I disorder and ADHD as a result of bipolar. There aren’t many big posts about studying with mental illnesses so I figured I would compile a huge list of tips and posts! I’m going to be making a video about this very soon. I hope for all of you struggling that this can help or at least remind you that mental health is more important than school sometimes. Take care of yourself in any way you can. lets get started…

Studying with Mental Illness

Take things slowly. Don’t be afraid to take a week doing one assignment. Making sure that you can focus on assignments can be draining so breaking them down day by day can truly help you. Make a task list with each portion of an assignment mapped out so that you can see exactly what you need to do. I know that i get overwhelmed very easily and seeing smaller things is less daunting then having a list full of HUGE things like research papers and midterms. Seeing it as “write paragraph one” or “review unit one vocab” makes everything less scary. 

Nothing has to be pretty. Notes don’t, papers don’t have to be perfect, study guides don’t need to be colorful and cute. What really matters is getting things done. My mom always tells me “even an F is better than a zero” which is so true. Turning things in late is not shameful because you are still turning it in. You still did it and that is something to be proud of. 

Study somewhere other than your room or your house. Make sure there are people there. Surrounding yourself with others will allow you to feel less isolated and sometimes more motivated to do things. You can’t take naps when you’re at a Panera or Starbucks either. People can be motivating, they can remind you that you are not alone, they can hold you accountable for what you have to do. Get out of your bed where you can sit and stare at the wall and go to a coffee shop or the library where other people are doing work. This always helps me get on track. 

Study in short bursts. Don’t wear yourself out with work. Find out when your concentration peaks and go with that. I usually work the best around 2pm so I have to make sure that I have eaten and showered before then so that I can capture that time to focus on my studies. 

Don’t beat yourself up. Studying just takes a lot more effort other days when depression hits you the worst. There might be days when you can barely get yourself out of bed but know that you do have the ability to succeed and that depression just has to suck sometimes. 

Get yourself out of bed. Shower. Change your clothes. Read a single page. Look at only one thing you have to do so you aren’t overwhelmed. That is something to be proud of and know that I am proud of what you did!

Study in a routine style. Let yourself have a routine that you can fall into. Try pomodoros or study games, Create a routine that you can stick to

If you don’t feel like doing anything… work for 5 minutes. You may feel more motivated or up, or you will at least be able to say that you have done something. 

HYDRATE. I’m really awful at drinking a lot of water, but it helps so much with both anxiety and depression. Water keeps you moving and awake. SO drink that H2O guys

Helpful Links

Staying Sane on Campus

Tips to stay mentally and emotionally healthy while you study

How to school when mentally Ill

Depression

Studying with Depression

Depression study tips

Studying through Depression

6 Tips To Get Motivated When You’re Feeling Depressed

Five Ways To Deal With Depression During Exams

Anxiety

Anxiety in Grad school

Dealing with Stress and Anxiety

Studying with Anxiety

Get Ready for School If You Suffer From Anxiety

Living & Studying with Anxiety

ADHD

How to succeed with ADHD

10 Study tips for ADHD students

I couldn’t find any resources about OCD, BPD, PTSD, or bipolar for that fact so keep on the lookout for any additions to this post if I find anything more! If all else fails, just google things. That always helps me. Message me personally if you have any questions about my struggles or need some specific advice! I love you all so much and I am so proud of you!! xx Haley