Starting off, this blog might be a bit of a random assortment of things. It’s sort of just a ramble blog post! I’m kind of also going to hop onto the TV trend since I just finished watching Lucifer again. A little embarrassing to admit, but I’ve just started rewatching The Big Bang Theory because it’s one of my favorite shows ever (but I hate Young Sheldon). My psychology class was canceled yesterday, so obviously, instead of doing work, I binged the rest of Lucifer for most of the night and then watched the first episode of TBBT just to get started. I completely forgot about the near-constant laughter at every moment, but I think it adds to the charm of the show. Some people might find it annoying, though, since it’s pretty frequent. I’m not sure if I’ll stick to rewatching TBBT yet; it’s between one of these shows: The Big Bang Theory, The Magicians, The Good Place, or maybe The OA.

Psych is also canceled tomorrow with the break coming up, so I’m going to go out with a friend instead after my shift and eat out somewhere before we head home for Thanksgiving! She’s my only friend here from home and it’s been nice to have someone around that I’ve known for a while.

It might be a bit late to talk about, but it fits in with my topic to mention class scheduling, which I’m sure everyone has already figured out. My advisor told me people usually stay up until midnight for scheduling, so I ended up doing that about two weeks ago and I’m glad I did. There weren’t a ton of classes to choose from since I think we scheduled last, and there was only one open class left of something I needed, so it’s good that I stayed up to get it done and over with. One thing I haven’t done, though, is check the rating professors thing because I always forget it exists. Does anyone check a professor’s rating before scheduling? Does anyone just cross their fingers and hope for the best?

I haven’t been scheduled to work Mondays recently, so it opens up a chunk of my day. I got lazy the last two Sundays and used that time to do my laundry on Monday instead, and it’s actually a lot easier to get everything done. I feel like Monday isn’t as awful anymore, since it doesn’t really feel like I’m starting my week yet. I’ll have to wash everything and get ready tomorrow night so I can be ready to leave Saturday morning.

This hasn’t been much of an advice-heavy post; mostly just semi-reflecting on what’s going on. It’s fine, though! Hope you all have a good break!

Moving to State College and stepping into college life has marked the beginning of a new journey for all of us, and it’s filled with responsibilities, opportunities, and challenges. For me, one of this semester’s most significant experiences has been learning to live independently. Between moving to an entirely new place, getting my first job, and jumping into college classes and life, I’ve learned a lot about managing my time to get things done. Have you ever felt overwhelmed by any number of tasks to juggle through the day? I know I have, and I’m definitely still figuring everything out.

One of the tasks I’ve had to learn is doing my laundry. It might sound simple, but learning to manage my laundry has been a part of learning to manage my overall schedule. Growing up, doing laundry was something I never had to worry about as my mom always handled it, so the thought of managing it on my own was a little overwhelming. How many of us have taken such daily chores for granted? At first, I struggled a lot with knowing how much of certain products to use, how to sort things, and understanding the different fabrics in my wash. I did laundry randomly throughout the week until I finally settled into things and started washing everything early on Sunday mornings. It transformed from a dreadful chore into a manageable part of my normal routine.

Living independently has also taught me the importance of setting priorities. In high school, tasks like doing laundry were usually taken care of by my mother, but that’s not the case anymore. Now, with the responsibility being on me, I realized that effective time management isn’t about fitting everything into a schedule; it’s about prioritizing what matters and figuring out what I need to do. I’ve also learned the importance of self-discipline, which extends beyond completing chores and into my academic and personal life, helping me stick to my study schedules and making sure I get enough rest every night.

Technology has been a big help in my journey navigating college life and my tasks. With all of the apps and tools designed to aid time management, I’m often using digital reminders and calendars to stay on top of things. I schedule study sessions, work hours, and have an alarm turned on every time I do my laundry. I try to make sure I stay balanced, but I still get a little sidetracked sometimes too.

I’ve learned a lot this semester, and being on my own for the first time has helped me grow and figure out what works for me. I’m far from mastering time management, but handling responsibilities like laundry has been a big part of my experience!

It’s already the last day of October, which seriously sounds insane. Everything seems to be moving a lot faster than I expected. I don’t have too many specific events worth writing about for this week’s post, so I think I’ll stick to a more general blog for today. Sometimes, balancing our time and managing our schedules can feel just as tricky as navigating a haunted house, so I’m just going to talk about a few tips to keep our schedules in check and make time for Halloween fun! There might be a few things I’ve already touched on in the past, but it’s slightly Halloween-themed, so it’s better.

I’ve already mentioned to-do lists, and not-to-do lists, in an older post, but I figured it’s an important piece to mention. You could always stick to a traditional to-do list, with the key to managing it all being prioritizing your tasks, similar to how a witch sorts through her cauldron’s ingredients. Identify which ones are the most important, and work on those first. However, not-to-do lists are also pretty helpful. It really helps with identifying and getting rid of the activities that might be distracting and allows us to focus on our priorities and maintain control over our schedules.

I would also say it’s super important to incorporate festive fun! Time management doesn’t have to be all about work with no room for fun activities at any time of the year. We can always set aside time for pumpkin carving and watching Halloween movies, or even having costume contests and going to parties. Giving ourselves time to enjoy these things can actually boost our productivity and help keep us motivated!

At the end of the week, you should also take time to reflect on how well you managed your time. Did your spells (time management strategies) work, or do you need to make some adjustments? You can always change your approach at any time to keep your schedule balanced and manageable. Remember to reflect on your progress, and keep in mind that even the best witches might refine their craft.

I’m learning that balancing time and maintaining a schedule isn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. I know what I have to do, and I try to set aside my own time for the things that I need to work on, while also giving myself plenty of time to enjoy being in an entirely new place. I’m sure you’re all probably aware of these different parts of managing and balancing, but it doesn’t hurt to have reminders.

As the title says, I took a trip back downtown! It’s only been my second or third time going, but I was able to see a lot more this time. It wasn’t too eventful, but we still had quite the adventure. So last Saturday, my friend, Channanyah, asked if I wanted to take a trip to Target the next day, Sunday, and I was pretty excited to meet up with her again and explore downtown a little more. We agreed on 2 P.M. the next day, but honestly, when the time came, I was still in bed and seriously contemplating if I wanted to spend my day off being out and about. I’m definitely glad I did, though!

We went over to Target, but then we decided at the last minute to switch gears and try Lupita’s down the street. We both wanted to try Juana’s, but it was closed the day we planned to meet up, and neither of us knew that. So we went to Lupita’s instead, but we were both incredibly unprepared. I had no idea what I wanted, and she kind of panic-ordered empanadas, which she didn’t even end up liking. We sat down right after she ordered, and I was a little too embarrassed to go back up and order after that. We were both ready to go pretty quickly, so I grabbed a to-go box for her, and we made a run for it (we paid, it’s okay).

After that, we eventually made our way to Target. I might have a slight spending problem, so I had to seriously resist the urge to buy everything I wanted since my bank account had recently taken a pretty significant but necessary dip. I bought fruit, yogurt, and nail filers to take back to my dorm, and it came out to be exactly $20.00, which is random but satisfying to me. I helped her find a bunch of groceries to take back to her apartment. We dropped everything off and went out to grab food somewhere else, but we passed by McLanahan’s and decided to go in because, unfortunately, she couldn’t find her chicken hotdogs (???) at Target. I haven’t seen any places like their market, and it reminded me a lot of back home for some reason. I also found the cutest Hello Kitty ramen cups, and I seriously loved them (I didn’t buy any, though, because they make me sick).

photo cred: destiny hinton

Anyway, this hasn’t really related much to my overall topic of balance and schedules, so I think I can just tie this one back to my first passion post! If you guys are ever feeling overwhelmed with your to-do lists or tasks, remember to take a step back and schedule some downtime or visits with friends. Whether it’s a trip downtown like we did or just a quiet afternoon at home, those little moments are what keep us going. We’re all just college students, and while our classes and work are important, we should also have our own time to enjoy everything State College has to offer! I should probably take my own advice, too, since I hardly ever go out and explore the place.

So, as the title says, I’ve been apartment hunting (for the first time)! I’ve been told that things move very quickly in State College, and I’m trying to be as prepared as possible. It’s been exciting, but kind of overwhelming for the first time, especially with trying to fit touring into my schedule. Honestly, since my friend told me that she had to sign her lease last year in November (apparently for her, even that was pushing it), I’ve been super worried about housing and being able to find a place with my boyfriend next year. We’ve been looking at Toftrees and Vairo for a while now, and they’re a bit farther away than other options, but we’re really looking for traditional housing rather than student housing. We just did a virtual tour today, because that’s all we could make work for both of us as we have completely opposite schedules, and we submitted our applications to be on a wait list! It feels super early for all of this, but there are already other people on wait lists for them as well, so I’d rather have everything done now instead of waiting for availability in March or April.

Our first step in the whole process was to figure out exactly what we needed and/or wanted in a space together. We had to think about budget constraints, essential things we were looking for in the area or with amenities, and proximity to work or school. We also thought about what we’d like to have, and for me, that was an apartment with a balcony. We’d prefer a renovated space too, as opposed to the standard apartments, but it’s not a requirement for us. Outlining everything we were looking for together was kind of similar to managing a busy schedule, where prioritizing things helped us make sure we got where we wanted to be and agreed on everything. Balancing our needs with our wants is important, just as balancing our schedule requires prioritizing tasks!

After we figured out what we were looking for, we looked into a ton of different places around State College. Going over every single one and how we felt about it was a little time-consuming, but eventually, we settled with the two I mentioned. We tried to focus on apartment hunting during the weekends, so it wasn’t totally interfering with our daily responsibilities. My class this morning was canceled, so we were able to do a quick virtual tour together at that time! I was prepared and already knew everything I wanted to ask (with a few extras), so the session went very smoothly and was incredibly helpful for us. We’ve only submitted an application so far, and there’s still tons for us to do once apartments open up later on, but we’re feeling really good about the process.

https://www.rentphilly.com/the-5-stages-of-apartment-hunting/

(real image of me apartment hunting)

Recently, as you all know, I’ve been trying to maintain a balanced schedule, managing work, school, and my personal life. It’s been going well, but I also started having nightmares and difficulty sleeping recently, which is throwing me a bit off balance. I’ve been waking up more tired than usual with less energy throughout the day, and staying productive and focused has been challenging. I’m sure you’ve all probably experienced bad dreams or disrupted sleep, waking up multiple times a night. I’m actually re-learning most of this in my psychology class, with the stages of sleep and everything. Waking up during the night due to bad dreams prevents us from reaching the deep, restorative stages of sleep that are super important for feeling refreshed in the morning. Sleep disruptions can impact us throughout the day, as it affects our moods, cognitive functions, and energy levels. I don’t remember much of the dreams I’ve had and I only decided to write about this yesterday, so I don’t have much to reflect on at the moment. However, I do know that nightmares can be linked to stress, anxiety, or unresolved trauma, and I’m sure a lot of us have been feeling that stress and anxiety recently with midterms being upon us.

When we’re preoccupied with everything that we’re worried about, it tends to manifest in our dreams and results in restless nights. There are strategies we can implement to improve our overall sleep quality, and I would strongly recommend going back to Yashvi’s passion blogs for specific ideas and examples of how to do so. As I was thinking of my blog for this week, I was reminded of her first blog, where she wrote about reflexive meditation for better sleep. Taking the time to put your phone down before bed and reflect on your day is incredibly important, as you could relieve some of the stress of the day. I would also recommend keeping a journal if you’re ever experiencing consistent nightmares, as writing down those dreams could provide insight into any recurring themes, allowing you to better understand the underlying cause. For general difficulty sleeping, it might help to establish a consistent bedtime routine to signal to your body when it’s time to wind down, or simply create a relaxing environment by keeping your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. I’ve been trying to implement these strategies on my own as well, so we’ll see how it goes!

If you’re like me and struggling to sleep consistently throughout the night, it’s still possible to maintain a balanced schedule. Make sure to prioritize your tasks, but manage your energy and focus on what you can do. You can always take a nap to recharge, too! 🙂

Last Thursday, Nik Shah came to my organizational leadership class as a guest speaker. Shah, a PWC partner focused on workforce transformation, spoke to us about the essence of leadership and shared his insights on what it means to be a leader today. He shared personal anecdotes from his career, illustrating how he had to lead his own teams and highlighting how leaders need to be flexible and responsive to change. He discussed several strategies for leaders to empower their teams, foster collaboration, and encourage ownership and accountability.

Near the end of our class, he was asked a question regarding balance and time-management. His answer was lengthy and descriptive, and truthfully, it was a lot to take in; so, after class, I asked him directly about his personal view on balance and busy schedules as it aligns with the general topic of my passion blog. Essentially, he said that balancing everything in life can be really challenging with school, work, family, and other commitments. Instead of trying to juggle it all, it’s better to identify your key priorities and focus on those. Think less about managing your time and more about managing your energy. Ask yourself what you’re passionate about and direct your energy towards those things. Everyone talks about making to-do lists, but it’s also important to create a NOT to-do list. This helps you avoid spending time on things that aren’t as important, allowing you to concentrate on what truly matters to you (Nik Shah, personal communication, September 19 2024). This perspective shifts the focus from the traditional approach of trying to fit everything into a limited amount of time, to a more strategic approach of directing your energy towards what truly matters. By prioritizing tasks and activities that align with your goals and values, you can achieve a more meaningful and fulfilling balance in life.

From my own perspective, I never really thought about it this way. I used to believe that time management was all about squeezing as many tasks as possible into each day. But considering it from the angle of energy management makes a lot of sense. Our energy levels fluctuate throughout the day, and focusing on high-priority tasks when our energy is at its peak can lead to better outcomes and less burnout. This approach, and Shah’s general idea, encourages us to be more mindful of how we spend our energy and to invest it in activities that bring us closer to our personal and professional goals.

So, I’ve settled into my schedule and finally have somewhat of a routine! It’s still been pretty tiring managing everything; however, I was able to relax and settle down with my boyfriend to unwind together by watching movies after work yesterday. We used to watch movies and shows together fairly often being long distance, but it’s been a bit difficult to get back into that as we both have our own busy schedules. Since my psychology class was cancelled for the day, we used that extra free time to watch a movie together! I brought home food from Sbarro after work and he made tostadas for himself to eat while we watched Moana together. We both really enjoy watching animated movies; they’re colorful, fun, and the perfect choice for times like this. Watching Moana with him took my mind off of everything else, and it was great to watch again since I haven’t seen it in so long. Not to mention the soundtrack, which I personally used to adore when I was younger. When you’re struggling with loads of assignments and deadlines, it could be easy to forget about taking a break, or even just difficult to make the time for one. Getting comfortable in my bed with snacks wasn’t only about watching the movie itself; instead, it was about spending quality time with someone who makes me forget about everything else going on. We laughed, sang along to the songs, and just enjoyed having that time with each other. We talk all the time, but I think getting back into our habit of watching movies together at night helped us reconnect a little, and it was nice to feel a sort of routine in that.

MOANA – Where You Are

Being a college student means having a pretty packed schedule; even so, it’s important for us to spend time with our loved ones as making time for movies, date nights, or just hanging out can really help keep things in perspective. Watching Moana was a fun, relaxing break from my schedule and I enjoyed having that time for myself and my relationship. School is important, but it’s equally important to make time for the people who support us through it. We shouldn’t forget to take a breather from things now and then, whether it’s watching a movie like we did, going for a walk around campus, or just talking with family and friends to help you recharge and stay grounded.

For my first two weeks at Penn State, I found it difficult to feel comfortable with suddenly juggling a full schedule and having little to no downtime, so I’ve focused on finding a balance between my work, school, and social life. Last week proved long and tiring for me, and it likely did for a few of you as well, but I managed to carve out some time over the weekend when I wasn’t busy and went out with a friend to explore campus and the downtown area. For me, exploring campus, visiting the arboretum, and ending my day at the creamery provided the perfect way to feel more in-control of my schedule. I visited downtown first, since my friend lives somewhere in the area, and we wandered in a few places we found interesting. After that, we hiked up to the East Food District for lunch and spent about 2 hours there talking after we finished our food. Kind of random, but the discounts in the commons seem a little crazy. Not complaining, though. We visited the arboretum once we were done, and it proved to be an incredibly peaceful experience as we walked through. I’ve never really been anywhere like it. As my friend and I strolled through, we chatted a lot about our surroundings and photographed the area frequently. That experience really helped me reconnect with nature and served as a much-needed break from my stressful, busy weeks. It might also benefit people looking to boost productivity, as those calming environments are likely to spark inspiration and creativity. There were a few other people there, some sitting around by themselves and others enjoying the day with their family and friends, and it made me realize that it might be where a lot of people seek an escape from the noise and stress of their daily lives.

photo cred: destiny hinton

To finish off our day, we stopped by the creamery, which might not seem too significant; however, small moments or activities, like grabbing a cold treat after a busy week, helps maintain a positive outlook and provides a sense of balance. Managing work, school, and our lives in general demands mindful effort and intentional choices from all of us. Incorporating activities like exploring campus or treating yourself during challenging times helps to discover a balance between productivity and relaxation, and it’s important to prioritize small, yet meaningful experiences to navigate the demands of work and school while still maintaining a fulfilling social life.

Starting off so far, I haven’t really had much time for anything besides working, attending my classes, and doing whatever work I’ve been assigned (which hasn’t even been much yet). I figured it’s only going to get more challenging to manage my time as we get further into the semester, and I thought I could focus my blog on attempting to find a balance between academics, working, and maintaining a social life. I could focus on my personal experiences and any tips I’ve found on maintaining a healthy balance with my schedule. I could also blog about finding ways to relax and recharge after difficult, super busy days, or interview upperclassmen and professors to get their insights on balance and time management as well.

I also do love reading and thought I could possibly write a blog about different books I’ve read, since there’s a ton of options to go through. There are a few specific books I’ve read that explore similar intense themes surrounding parenthood and I would enjoy blogging about psychological aspects of each. 🙂