Coming into university as a first-year student can be a very challenging transition. For me, it was quite a stark difference.
The reason for that is because I am on the varsity women’s soccer team here at Ryerson. For those who are unfamiliar with how it all works – we must be at Ryerson beginning August 15th where we start our rigourous season that goes until the end of October to early November.
Being on the soccer team means I have a committment to them every single day – for multiple hours. And once our season ends my committment doesn’t either, because we immediatly start off-season training.
So naturally, I was panicking and wondering how am I going to manage school, soccer, and having a job.
Well after four years of it I’ve learned four important lessons.
So here I am passing on to you folks what I have learned on how to deal with school and any other extra curriculars or jobs you might have – hopefully it helps! 🙂
1. TIME MANAGEMENT
This will be your bread and butter. If you cannot manage your time then you’ll have a problem (say bye to procrastination :() What I’ve found helpful is planning your day out ahead of time. Plan when you have class, what homework you need to complete that day, and when your work shifts are. A great way, in my opinion, to organize this is by jotting it down in an agenda or planner. And hey Ryerson gives you free ones at the beginning of the year! 😉
2. PRIORITIZE
Prioritizing your committments is crucial. You need to know what is the most important thing to complete or attend at any moment. For me, school is always number one. If I have a huge project to complete for the next morning at 8 a.m. and feeling crammed then I am calling into work and saying that I cannot make my shift. But I know that won’t happen to you because you would have written it down in your free Ryerson agenda 😉
3. ASK FOR HELP
This is very important. Do not let yourself get so overwhelmed with school, work, and extra curriculars. If you are feeling time crunched ask for help! Talk to your professors about extensions, explain to your coaches about you class schedule, and ask your boss for shift changes. Generally, in my experience, these people are very understanding and realize and admire, that you’re not a one dimension person – and that you have multiple facets to your life. So don’t be afraid to reach out.
4. HAVE FUN!!!
Your life is supposed to be FUN. University is supposed to be the best years of your life. Work can be fun… if you think about all that cash you’re making ;), and obviously you love any extra curriculars you are participating in. ENJOY IT because it doesn’t last forever! (That’s you down there)
