Gettin' Busy

Ah yes, I remember the good old days, way back during last semester, the days where I used to sleep in and then attend a 10:30am class. This was often followed by a trip to the cafeteria where I would proceed to indulge in the ever-greasy 'Hearty Breakfast' , and then come home for a 3 hour nap.

Well, those days are over. So far I think this semester has got to be the busiest yet for me. Studying in the business program here at the College, taking fitness trainer courses all day Saturdays, working as an online tutor and volunteering organizing events with CCO has been hectic. I wake up everyday of the week at 6:20am because I always have somewhere to be.

But don't worry, this isn't a 'Feel sorry for Isaiah' article. This is an article about the most productive semester I've ever had.

It seems to me that the more work and responsibility that I have, the more efficiently I use my time, the more I think ahead about future deadlines and the more I accomplish.

This also reminds me of when I was back in high school. I used to play senior basketball - that was a huge commitment. We had either a practice or a game 6 out of the 7 days. Practices sometimes were from 7 - 9:30pm. That made for a long day at school. During the season I always felt pressured to balance basketball with keeping high grades. Often, I felt like my commitment to the team was jeopardizing my GPA and that everything would be fine once the season was over and I had more time to study. That day came in March 2005. It was kind of a relief to be finished. No more spring league, summer team camps or 6:30 am practices. But for some reason my grades didn't get any higher. Even though I had ample time to study and rest, my grades actually dropped. Now that I had extra time, I didn't know what to do with it and I began to waste it.

When I had only a small amount of time, I used it wisely. When I had a lot of time, I squandered it. In fact, when I had a lot of time I probably spent less of it studying then when I was busy.

Alright Isaiah, it's time to land the plane for these guys.

If you're having a tough time balancing work, school and everything else here are some tips I have used:

1. Review your Schedule: - Find out where you are spending most of your time, you may be surprised.

2. Set Priorities: - Have goals and prioritize your time based on what you want to achieve. Friends and a social life are very important. But unfortunately our large collection of movie stubs and liquor store receipts tend not to look great on a resume. Schedule time for 'hanging out' around your priorities and not vice versa.

3. Have Fun: - Needless to say, time flies when you're having a good time. The thing I like about my packed schedule is that there's never a dull moment. I'm always looking forward to the next thing. Spend time to explore and find an area of study that interests you. Find a job that is interesting and challenging. Include new things into your agenda and develop a well-balanced life style.

These days, when I'm juggling school, work and volunteering, I remember way back to last semester; back to my sleeping in, greasy breakfasts and 3-hour naps. - And I think to myself: man, that stuff is way overrated.