Like many Hopkins students, I am one of those people whose interests are diverse and unrelated. And, like many Hopkins students, I tend to participate in way too many activities to keep all these passions engaged (I also have a difficult time saying no to people, which probably doesn’t help). Last year was my first year at Hopkins, and my goals for the first semester were simple: maintain a good grade-point average, become an integral part of all the clubs I join and make new friends. When the fall semester began, I was full of energy, determination and naïveté. These three things mostly carried me through the first semester without any major hiccups. But when the second semester started, I found that my plan failed to take into account several factors, the biggest of which was burnout.
The past year forced me to change my approach to balancing academics, extracurriculars and social life. I learned some valuable lessons, and I found a new approach to implement as I enter my second year. Hopefully, these little nuggets of wisdom can spare you some trouble, a couple migraines and a few sleepless nights.
Make a priority list.
This is probably the hardest tip to implement. It can be difficult to rank your interests, especially if you have lots that are pretty unrelated. But, there is a way to make the process easier. Instead of thinking about which activities are your favorite, try thinking about which activities you can see yourself devoting the most time to. Ranking activities like this can also be useful when making a schedule for yourself.
Schedule things you know you neglect.
Yes, I am one of those people that has every minute of their day scheduled in their Google Calendar. If that works for you too, great. But, even if you are someone who likes to leave some wiggle room in their schedule, I still highly recommend this tip. When we are stressed and overworked or something unexpected comes up, there are a few things we tend to neglect first: sleep, exercise and time with friends. But, these are all still necessary and important, so make sure to deliberately include them in your calendar — especially when your world is a little more chaotic than usual.
Do as much as you can in advance.
People always tell us to manage our time better, and I feel like that’s a pretty ambiguous piece of advice. How exactly does one manage time better? I think the key is doing things as early as you can.
Writing the essay you were assigned a month ago the night before it is due, stressing to attach PDF files to a homework assignment at 11:58pm — we have all been there, and it is not very pleasant. Doing your tasks at the last minute not only increases your stress but also decreases the quality of your work. So, whether it is club tasks, class assignments or replying to that text, it is better to get it out of the way sooner rather than later.
Know when and how to say no.
This is a big one, and I am still working on it. Saying no can be hard, and it is easy to think that your decline might cause someone to be disappointed or hurt. But, especially in professional situations, this is not typically the case. In most situations, being able to set boundaries for yourself is an important skill, and the earlier you start practicing, the better. Sometimes, we have too much on our plate, and being able to admit that is necessary — not just for the sake of your work, but also for your mental and emotional well-being.
I do want to address the flipside of this though. Don’t always say no. If someone new wants to hang out with you or if a couple friends want you to take a break, you do not have to force yourself to say no in the name of responsibility. If you are scared of the extra responsibility or the new job, ask yourself: Why do I feel like saying no? Yes or no is up to you, but always be mindful of the reasoning behind your responses.
Get comfortable studying in brief increments of time.
Although it’s nice to have two-to-three-hour chunks of space in our schedule to dedicate to an aesthetic study period, that’s not always possible. Get comfortable with studying in small pockets of time wherever you find yourself. Brody is nice, but there are lots of quiet tables in various different buildings that you can use to get some quick study time in between classes. This could be a good way to encourage you to explore new study spaces around campus, too.
Do not think about items on your to-do list unless you are actively working on them.
As stressed students, our minds can often be swarming with thoughts. I have to do that assignment. I need to work on this. I have to study for that test. Turn it all off. Unless you are sitting down, actually working on the task you are stressed about, do not think about it. Just thinking about it does not allow you to make any progress towards your goal and only stresses you out more about the task. This can feed into procrastination and is not productive. Catch yourself when you find your thoughts getting too far ahead of you.
Use your resources.
Regardless of how much we plan, sometimes things do not go the way we expect. Circumstances are often out of our hands. At those moments, though, remember to use the resources you have. Reaching out to friends or family can be a good way to remind us to be easier on ourselves. Talking to advisors, professors or upperclassmen can provide us with direction when we feel lost. And, if you’re really stuck, Hopkins has ample resources to help us preserve our physical, emotional and mental health.
Maya Britto is a sophomore from Burtonsville, Md. majoring in Neuroscience and Public Health. She is a News & Features Editor for The News-Letter.
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