Welcome to college… sort of. Yes, this year has been off, to say the least, and college especially first-year students such as myself, are trying to make the best of it. Though a plethora of things has changed this school year, the workload and stress have not. I’m sure like many of you are currently right now, overworked with a mix of school projects/exams, extracurricular activities such as sports, and maybe even a job. While we all struggle to make deadlines or prioritize what to study or what’s next on the to-do list, we often forget to take care of ourselves and allow ourselves to take a much-needed break. Whether you are living on campus or taking classes at home, here are a few tips to help you put yourself as a priority for once.
Take advantage of your screen time in settings
If you have an iPhone, there is an app within settings called screen time which allows you to monitor what apps you are spending the most time on, as well as allow you to set restrictions for certain apps. Now, why would you want to set restrictions on apps? In screen time you can set restrictions on any apps such as social media for an extended period of time. For example, you can set a restriction on all social media apps from 11 pm at night until 8 am in the morning. This restriction makes all your apps appear dim on your home screen and “locks” them until your time period ends. In order to unlock them, you’d have to individually type in a password for each app which is very meticulous and annoying. The major reason to do this is to get more sleep and not mindlessly scroll in bed. A lot of the time before bed, we find ourselves scrolling on social media whether that be on Instagram or TikTok and before you know it, it’s 3 am in the morning and you have to be up for an 8 am class. Utilizing screen time can help you get those extra hours of sleep your body has been needing.
Pomodoro method
Okay, if you have not already heard of the Pomodoro method you have to try it. Exams are inevitable and studying can be time-consuming and overall draining to our physical and mental wellbeing. The Pomodoro method is a studying technique that involves timed intervals of studying mixed in with breaks. There are different timed intervals, but the basic one and the one I use is the 30-10 one. 30 minutes of studying and then a 10-minute break right after, and those intervals go on a loop for as many hours as you need to study. I personally use the timers on youtube, which show you the thirty-minute timer and then have a sound effect every time you have a break or your 30 minutes begin again. There are many studies as to why this method works amongst students, but the primary one that I notice is that it doesn’t make me burn out during studying. Whenever students study, we often forget to give ourselves an allotted time period to break causing us to burnout and not attain information well. On the other hand, when we do give ourselves breaks, we can also find ourselves giving up on studying or going beyond or set break time. The Pomodoro method helps students not burn out during studying but also holds them accountable for studying.
Get outside
This one is more of a reminder. Don’t stay in your dorm or room all day. Not only is this for your physical wellbeing but also your mental wellbeing. We’re not built to be locked in a room all day, no one is. Something about the sun and the fresh air always boosts my mood. Often times whenever I feel overwhelmed and anxious because of either school work or personal life, I like to step outside and walk for a bit to remind myself that the world is still spinning and life is still going on, even though I may feel like the world is crumbling and I’m stagnant.
mpr5679 March 30, 2021
I completely agree with you about getting outside. I know at least for me I can not stay in my room all day and do classes. I have found it beneficial to wake up a few minutes earlier in order to have time to walk to a remote learning room. Even if the walk is short it is better for me because if I don’t get out of my room I know I won’t leave my room that day. Even going to a different room and staying there all day is better than staying in my dorm all day. A change in scenery is always beneficial.
Gabby Gormas March 31, 2021
I have never heard of the Pomodoro method before, but it sounds very interesting and useful. I tend to spend countless hours studying which often leads to me burning out, so I will definitely be trying this trend for an upcoming exam I have on Monday. I love these tips and your posts always encourage me to think of my own health, rather than school work!
Ben Doyle April 27, 2021
I think that these are really great techniques for helping to prioritize yourself and your health, especially since the first year of college can certainly be stressful. I think that the Pomodoro method has been especially helpful for me, as with my relatively packed schedule it is really important to prioritize rest and relaxation in the middle of a long day of work. I also use an app to track how I felt about a given day and what I did, essentially grading my mood for the day so I can keep track of it and get a better impression of any trends I’m noticing.