Being a college student is hard. You have to figure out a perfect balance of free time & study time. Time management is an art that is hard to master if it isn’t already implemented into your routine. Here’s how I figured out how to make the most out of college while maintaining a high GPA:

Wake up at 8am.

I wake up at the same time everyday, even on the weekends. No matter if my first class is a 9am or 3pm. This allows me to set a routine & do my 9 habits before 9am.

Study for 30 minutes to an hour.

Studying in the morning is the last thing I want to do but it’s so important for academic success. Studying for 30 minutes to an hour allows me to see what assignments I have coming up & need to work on as well as studying for upcoming tests. This is a good practice if you know your afternoons are busy & you might not have time to study later on. That way you’re still working on what you need to do.

Go to class.

I don’t understand people that consistently skip class. That might have slid in high school but now you’re paying tuition & taking classes that are setting you up for the future. It doesn’t matter if attendance is mandatory or not, go to class. Going to class is never a waste of time, you will always get something out of it.

After class, take some me time or make time for friends.

I use my after class time to grab a cup of coffee with a friend, watch Netflix with my significant other or watch YouTube videos alone. It’s important to take some time to chill out & not be working all the time, you will wear yourself out.

Around 3-4pm, run errands.

I use this time to go get groceries, check my mailbox, make a target run or do laundry. There is always something to be done to keep your life in order. Do the dishes that have been piling up, wash your make up brushes, whatever. Do things that need to be done & make your space clean & happy. This is great for your mental state & then you don’t have to dedicate a whole day to cleaning & running errands, they’re already done!

5pm go to the gym or just get out of the house for a little bit.

I go to the gym before the usual gym rush at 6/7pm because I personally like a empty gym. That way I know whatever machines I want to use will be free. If I don’t want to go to the gym that day, I’ll take a walk or hang out with friends. Getting up & doing something is good for you in so many ways. Get moving!

6/7pm make dinner & shower.

I hate to smell like food, it’s this weird thing that bothers me. So after the gym or being out I’ll make dinner before I shower. Cooking at home is cheap, you get a great meal & it’s relaxing (for me at least). Then after I eat I shower & just wind down for the day. Don’t forget to moisturize!

8/9pm study more or chill out.

Depending on my work load & up coming tests I’ll use this hour to do homework & be ahead in my classes. If my work load for the week is pretty tame, I’ll just watch some YouTube, scroll through social media & chill out.

After 9pm whatever you want.

9pm is my personal academic cutoff. I won’t work on any more homework or study unless I really need to. I use this time to hang out with roommates, my boyfriend, call my sister, anything. This is your time to chill, go to bed & just have a relaxing night.

That’s it!

Time management is everything. I know most people reading this don’t have the exact class schedule or work load that I do but I hope this helps you get an idea of how to maintain everything. Obviously I don’t follow this to a T everyday but it’s a good outline for what a normal day looks like. Sometimes I have meetings or plans that interfere with this, and that’s ok. Just make sure you are balancing your work & fun. This will help you be successful but not miss out on any fun. Have a happy & successful semester!