How to Keep a Good Work/Life Balance at University
By Library Student Partner, Laura van Diesen
Many students say that when they try to prioritize their life and wellbeing, it feels like work is being sacrificed, and vice-versa. This is the challenge of a work/life balance: it is a seesaw that you continuously have to adjust. This continuous adjustment is key to its maintenance, however. It is challenging to reach a good balance without checking in with yourself and seeing what is and isn’t working. Here are some of Laura’s tips on making sure you have time for both leisure and study at university.
1. Planning
You don’t need to plan every minute of your week intricately, but I recommend pencilling in time for socializing, hobbies, or society events after you have written out your academic timetable.
Compare timetables with your friends – in a busy week of lectures, it is likely there will be free hours where you are both on campus. When my timetable lines up with a friend, I like to schedule a weekly study date with time for coffee afterwards. This way, we can both finish those last pages of seminar preparation, and then catch up with one another afterwards.
"...I set preliminary deadlines for myself..."
For example, you can meet up in the Library for silent study, and then head to the Café Library or Coffee Bar for a chat. If you know you and your friend are going to distract one other, either study separately or go to a quiet zone such as the Floor 2 Extension. This way, the knowledge that you are about to have a break together is a good incentive to get your work done efficiently.
I have found that trying to study while chatting means you aren’t able to concentrate on either, so be a little strict! The Library has plenty of space both for taking breaks and for serious study, so you can schedule in a bit of work and ‘life’ without having to leave the building.
The Library is in a conveniently central location, so if you have an event with your society on campus but deadlines are approaching, you can easily balance your time between the two locations.
If you have a part-time job or volunteer somewhere weekly, this can also get in the way of finding a balance between free time and work. If I know I am volunteering for three hours in a neighbouring town, I plan some time for a short walk before my shift, or plan to meet up with friends that live nearby. Integrating social plans or enjoyable activities into locations you are already in saves a lot of travelling time, making room for both enjoyment and work.
2. Setting preliminary deadlines
When it comes to assessment season, deadlines often silently pile up – wasn’t everything fine a couple of weeks ago? Coursework and exams have the habit of coming all at once and completely throwing off your work/life balance.
"...I recommend pencilling in time..."
However, if you write all your hard deadlines down as soon as you know them, you can try to spread your work out in the weeks approaching rather than panicking and not having time to socialize in the last weeks of term.
For coursework, I write these deadlines onto a calendar above my desk to visualize how much time I have. Most importantly, I set preliminary deadlines for myself, allowing time for editing or going to office hours to ask questions.
For example, I aim to have an essay finished one to two weeks before a deadline. This means that if anything unplanned comes in the way, such as illness or feeling overworked, you know you have time to rest or meet up with friends.
Planning this flexibility with even a couple of buffer days can mitigate a lot of anxiety and ensure that you have time to enjoy yourself and re-energize before heading back to work.
3. Tidy up your schedule
There are so many things you may either want or ought to do at university that you try to do everything, but you also need time to unwind. If your schedule is feeling impossible to keep up with, you may have too much on your plate.
Look at your schedule or write down your weekly commitments, and highlight everything that is completely necessary, such as lectures and seminars. Then look at any other social events and commitments – do you attend anything due to a fear of missing out, and does it actually drain you? Be brutally honest with yourself and see whether there are any ways of tidying your schedule.
There are endless societies and opportunities to choose from at Warwick, but you are ultimately only one person. If you adjust your schedule to be a little less overwhelming, you will have more time and energy to invest in the things that are truly important to you.
"...I like to schedule a weekly study date..."
I recommend dedicating a few minutes of reflection to your work/life balance every week, so you can check in with what is working for you or what needs adjusting. Consider how you are feeling at the end of the week – have you not felt the light of day due to working on assignments, or have your course books started to gather dust?
It is helpful to do this check in on a Sunday, as you can make it your weekly goal to either schedule in more leisure time or study, but not one or the other! After all, academic deadlines and personal calendars are always changing, so allow flexibility in your schedule for any changes in priority.
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How to Keep a Good Work/Life Balance at University
By Library Student Partner, Laura van Diesen
Many students say that when they try to prioritize their life and wellbeing, it feels like work is being sacrificed, and vice-versa. This is the challenge of a work/life balance: it is a seesaw that you continuously have to adjust. This continuous adjustment is key to its maintenance, however. It is challenging to reach a good balance without checking in with yourself and seeing what is and isn’t working. Here are some of Laura’s tips on making sure you have time for both leisure and study at university.
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