May 2, 2024 by

Picture this: It’s 7 a.m. and your alarm is blaring on the nightstand next to your bed. Hoping that you didn’t inadvertently wake your sleeping roommate, you roll over and hit the snooze button. A big day looms ahead of you! You’re taking an 8 a.m. biology course, and then you’re meeting a friend for coffee at 9 a.m. You have chapel at 10 a.m., and then you’re off to an 11 a.m. general psychology class, a 12 p.m. Visual Rhetoric class, and at 1 p.m. Physical Activity and Healthy Living class. Don’t forget; you have to find time to eat lunch! You work your on-campus job for two hours in the afternoon, and at 5 p.m., you have dinner with your roommate. After that, another hour of work, an hour at the gym, and then you can start your homework for the day. At 7 a.m., a busy day like this may make staying in your warm bed seem more appealing!  

This example of a day in the life of a Cedarville University student was a typical Monday for me during the fall semester of 2023. I was enrolled in 14.5 credits, volunteered on the worship team at my church, played for one of Cedarville’s traveling worship teams, and worked three on-campus jobs. My life was insanely busy, and I loved every minute of it! Cedarville University is a special place to be, and each experience that I have on campus is a blessing. However, sometimes the student lifestyle can be overwhelming. In this blog, I hope to encourage prospective and current students that, while life at Cedarville University can be busy, it is completely manageable. If you keep these tips in mind, your 1000 Days will be both life-giving and life-changing!  

Google Calendar is your friend.  

I fought against using Google Calendar during my freshman and sophomore years. I thought that it would be too complicated to input my jobs, classes, and events into the calendar, but I was very wrong. Google Calendar is your friend! This easy-to-use online resource allows you to create multiple “calendars” to categorize your day-to-day activities. For example, I have a calendar for work, a calendar for classes and chapel, a calendar for fun events, and a calendar for meals and coffee dates. These color-coded calendars help me keep track of the different activities that I have planned for the day. The app will also send a 10-minute reminder before the event to ensure that you remember events. I love using Google Calendar — it has saved me many times from forgetting an upcoming event. This resource is very easy to use, and I highly recommend it for college students!  

Keep a physical calendar as well!  

I know that this may seem a bit unnecessary after I just recommended Google Calendar, but I promise that this tip is just as effective! I have kept a physical planner since I was a freshman in high school, and it has helped me keep myself organized for years. At the beginning of each semester, use a physical planner to mark down important deadlines and due dates that will occur throughout the semester. By doing this, you’ll be able to map out the easier weeks and the harder weeks. For example, if I look at my physical calendar and see that I have a 15-page paper due the same week that I have three exams, I’ll recognize that I’ll need extra time to study for those exams. Then, I’ll be more motivated to complete the paper before that week begins. In this way, you can discern when to start larger and more time-consuming projects and assignments. You can also map out when you can take breaks and socialize with friends.  

Use the awkward hours in between classes!  

When you schedule your classes for a semester, there will often be gaps between classes and meals. If this should happen, try not to go back to your dorm! There have been many times when I have dropped by my dorm expecting to work for an hour, and then I catch myself mindlessly scrolling through Instagram or Facebook. Don’t let yourself develop that habit! Instead, let those hours work for you. Nowadays, I’ll find a spot on campus (my go-to places are the Centennial Library, the Center for Biblical and Theological Studies, and the Tyler Digital Communication Center), and I’ll diligently work on an assignment or two. These isolated hours may not be enough to completely finish an assignment, but chunking your homework can prevent it from piling up on you! You can also use these awkward hours to give your parents a call — I’m sure they’d love to hear how your day is going!  

Schedule time to rest and relax!  

This is one of the tips that I struggle with personally. I love keeping myself busy, but I will often stretch myself too thin and be exhausted by the end of the week. This is why it’s helpful to schedule time to rest. There are specific times throughout my week that I block off to recharge my batteries. For example, on Monday nights, my roommate and I will get dinner and then come back to the dorm to watch a show together. This is our way of resting, spending intentional time together, and being careful to restrict our homework time to a healthy load. On the weekends, we have “Coffee Shop Saturdays.” These days involve brunch at Chuck’s (the dining hall), studying at Orion Coffee and Tea (in downtown Cedarville) during the afternoon, and then getting dinner and watching a movie. In my opinion, Coffee Shop Saturdays are the perfect balance between work and rest. Remember to build time into your schedule so that you can recharge your batteries!  

Being a student at Cedarville University can be somewhat chaotic, but it’s completely manageable if you dedicate yourself to learning time management and discipline! Adding Google Calendar to your arsenal, keeping a physical planner, working in between classes, and scheduling time to rest are all excellent ways to ensure that you’re keeping up with your classes, jobs, and extracurricular activities. I know they’ve helped me exponentially during my three years here! 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in: , , , , , , ,