Hi guys! I hope everyone has had a good couple weeks and is getting adjusted to being on campus if you went on campus. This post will be a reflection of my experience on campus in the past couple weeks. To be honest, it’s been pretty hard for me to get adjusted for multiple reasons. I’m going to talk about those and then describe some shifts in mindset that have kept me sane.
The biggest thing that I’ve been struggling with on campus is going from having my own room to having to share my space with a roommate. Now, this is nothing against my roommate, because she’s great, and I had a roommate last semester too so I’m used to it. However, the main problem I’ve been having is the fact that I’ve needed to greatly adjust my schedule (specifically my workout schedule) to account for having a roommate. For instance, at home I liked to work out before my 8 a.m. classes to get it out of the way, but now I’m struggling with being able to do that because I like to do many of my workouts in my room but my roommate is sometimes not awake at that time. Therefore, it’s been annoying trying to find different times to fit in workouts, and it just doesn’t work as well since I have to squeeze them in between classes. I know this may not seem like a big issue, but I just have always struggled with adjusting to and accepting changes I don’t like.
Another struggle I’ve been having is time management. As I’ve mentioned, I am in Army ROTC, which requires a huge time commitment. It is physically and mentally draining as well, so getting used to being on campus and dealing with that has been tough. This week I had to wake up before 5 a.m. four times, and I was up late doing homework every night.
In response to these struggles, I have really had to take a step back and process possible solutions. The main thing I’ve been focusing on is just accomplishing responsibilities in small chunks, and trying to dedicate my attention to one thing at a time. If I’m attempting to accomplish one thing but stressing about the next, that’s just not productive for anything. Therefore, compartmentalizing and prioritizing are some things that I need to continue working on.
These past couple weeks have also forced me to accept that discomfort and change are okay. I have never been a person who was comfortable with change, but the Army, by nature, is extremely dynamic. It takes you out of your comfort zone, and I knew that coming in. Accepting this fact and being open to change is the first step to becoming a more well-rounded person, so although I have been overwhelmed and tired, I know I’m constantly improving as a result of the challenges.
I can relate to what you are feeling. I always felt I had to walk on egg shells when my roommate was asleep. She would sleep in late but I wanted to start my day early and did not want to be that roommate that would be too loud. A suggestion I have for time management is to block out a good two hours for studying if possible.I usually do mine 30 minutes after my last class around 3. And during this studying, use the pomodoro method. This includes 25 minutes on and 5 minutes off, and studying for two hours. I found this to be so useful because before I would try to do all my homework in one go but would get distracted by my phone. But having this structured way of studying allows for you to relax and take a break but still get a lot done. And if possible, you can schedule a time frame at the IM building to use their machines/equipment. I found this was better than risking waking up my roommate. And the walk itself was a workout from my dorm. But, I commend you for doing ROTC because it sounds very difficult and emotionally draining.
I think this is an interesting post to read especially because my roommate actually decided to go home, so I have been alone for awhile. I am sorry you have so much going on, it must be overwhelming. I like the above suggestion about the Pomodoro method! I think that compartment compartmentalizing will be helpful and if you ever need anything, let me know!
Doing ROTC must be a huge commitment and responsibility and I just want to say congratulations for taking that on!! I can imagine that it’s really tough at times but just from reading this post it’s clear that you’re really dedicated to it and are actively looking for ways to make the most of your experience. This is a really basic thing that I do, but I have a small whiteboard on my desk with even the smallest assignments that I need to complete, like reading a chapter for biology, a pre-lecture quiz for chemistry, or even taking out the trash. That way I’m able to focus on those things one at a time and then cross them off one at a time as well! Unfortunately I’m usually adding things as fast as I’m crossing them off, but that’s something that has helped me out a lot since last fall.