Jeta Gjana

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin
Life can be crazy at times between balancing work, school, extracurricular activities, and social obligations. Taking the time to create schedules and checklists of all the things that you must complete in a day makes the hectic week more bearable. During the school year I work at Fox Advising as a peer advisor and an ombudsmen. In the beginning of every semester I input my schedule into my calendar on my phone. I place alerts for when I am suppose to be in class and when I am suppose to be in work till I get use to my new day-to day schedule. When I know that multiple deadlines are approaching at the same time, I try to complete assignments a couple days before they are due so that I have sufficient time to review my work. Lastly, I try to prioritize my friends and family so that I have a good balance in my life.

To balance school work and my internship, it’s most important for me to keep a to-do list and to have reminders set on my phone and laptop. I have a to-do list for both this class and for my internship, and they both really help in keeping my mind focused on the tasks that need to be completed. For class, I have a homework app on my cell phone that acts as the to-do list. For my internship, I have Sticky Notes set up on my home screen that act as my to-do list and other helpful notes to remember. Finally, reminders are so important. Again, on my phone, I’ve set up reminders so that I won’t forget to complete assignments. For work, Microsoft Outlook sends reminders about upcoming meetings and more. So, if my mind is ever wandering and I’m veering off course, these reminders will help reel me back in.

Balancing school work and an internship can be a challenge. However, being aware of what needs to be done can make it more easier. For example, at work we utilize Microsoft Outlook which organizes any meetings I have. I also have a to-do list at my desk so I always glance over it to make sure what i need to do is being worked on. For schoolwork, I have an application on my cellphone that reminds me when assignments are due. It is also helpful to look ahead in the calendar just to see upcoming meetings or assignments so you get a sense of what is coming in the upcoming days.

Hey Kayla,

I completely agree, to-do lists are the most simple yet most efficient way to stay focused on completing tasks!

Before taking this internship, I was already working part time in an office. I have been working part time and balancing school work for the past two and a half years. The only difference with this internship is that it is full time and I generally have a longer commute. If I plan on doing school work after getting home from work, I have less time due to having a longer commute. However, I do get most of my class work done towards the end of the week. What helps me stay on top of things is having a to do list with set deadlines. I am not sure how I am going to manage my time with my capsim class starting this week as it is appears to be a demanding course.

Balancing out all the things you have going on in your life can be a difficult task. I think the only way I have been able to get more things done this summer is by proper goal setting, planning, and scheduling. Every morning, as daunting and annoying as it may sound, I try to write down the top goals I have in each of the things going on in my life for the summer. I then break those goals down in actionable, piece-by-piece steps that add up to how I plan to accomplish each of those goals. After I have got several list items of what I have to complete, I then figure out what I have to accomplish first (prioritize) and estimate a time for how long each task will take. So then, each day I write out what my schedule is going to look like leaving in extra buffer times for tasks that may come up unexpectedly or for some free down time. This method may sound very extra and obnoxious but it has really allowed me to be more productive, stress less, and have more free time for myself.

I was having trouble with this balance of schoolwork and internship. I realize that time management really comes handy. I created a schedule for my whole week since all day will be the same until the semester is over. In order to help me with this schedule, I keep track of the time I am doing my schoolwork after my internship and the time that I need to study. Also, school work due dates are critical for us students and we do not want to miss any of it. In order to keep up with the due dates, I set alarms a week before the due dates so I can have time to work on it and I order them in level of difficulty. I did not like the time management and follow schedules. However, by doing it everyday I realized that I have more free time at the end of the day.

J&J’s email system is based in Microsoft Outlook. I have never used this application before, but it has proven to be very helpful in scheduling 1:1’s, blocking out time for lunch/assignment completion, and meetings with my team or supervisor. My Outlook calendar already is pretty full until the end of the internship. Although it may seem overwhelming, I am taking the internship day by day. Having the Outlook calendar already filled out is helpful as it lets me mentally prepare myself for the rest of the day, or even week. Another thing that I found particularly useful is being vocal with my supervisor about my school coursework. He is very open to giving me some time in the day to complete assignments, and at times, even helps me if I have a specific question about a job function or would like him to briefly look over my assignment. Communicating my responsibilities was very helpful because it made my manager be more understanding about my position as both an employee and student.

For me, having a space to write my thoughts, ideas, to-do items, appointments, etc. is essential in making sure I stay on top of everything. For school and homework, I use an app called MyStudyLife. I can log in with my Google account, so if I ever switch phones all of my assignments and classes are synced. It tracks tasks and assignments and alerts me a day before they are due. I schedule class times in there so I always have reminders at the start of the semester where I’m supposed to be headed. I highly recommend the app if you are looking for something to help organize your school life. As far as organizing my work and social lives, I keep track of work meetings in my Outlook calendar. I have that calendar synced to my Google account as well. This way I can open up the Google calendar app and have my personal calendar, work calendar, and family calendar all in one space. As an MIS major, I enjoy using technology as a tool to organize my life.

Thank you Shray. You seem like you are on the right path to success. Good Luck in all your future endeavors.

Hi Andrew,
You seem very organized and have great time management techniques. I will definitely try to keep a daily log of what I complete at my internship so that it becomes easier to complete the reports we must submit. Thank you for the advice, good luck at your internship!

This is actually one of the most laid-back summers I’ve had in recent memory Don’t get me wrong, between my 40-hour/week internship, my part-time side job, school work, and trying to expand my freelance portfolio, I am quite busy. However, during past summers and semesters, I have been enrolled in 3-5 classes on top of all of those other things, making literally every minute valuable. For work-related tasks, my company uses a PM software called TeamWork, which helps me stay on-target. For schoolwork and other tasks, I use Trello religiously, and good old fashioned post-it notes on my bedroom door. And like most other people in the thread have said, finding a good balance is absolutely important! Thursday nights are my one-night per week where I totally and completely unplug from work and school for a few hours and practice with my band. It’s been a hobby of mine since elementary school and it is usually the highlight of my week!

I never found the perfect balance between work and my internship because it all depended on my work load for the specific week and if tests or exams were present. When I thought I mastered time management I always found myself making some sort of adjustments to either how I handle school or the internship. My best advice is to plan ahead and keep a schedule. By doing this I was able to allot my time to different activities and know best when to have them achieved. Looking at the class syllabus for school was convienent as well as knowing future projects at my internship.

I actually was surprised to find that my schedule this summer is far less hectic (and much simpler) than it is during the school year. During the regular school year, it can be a challenge to keep track of different clubs, jobs, and classes and balancing my different commitments. But this summer, most of the work happens during the day, and the nights I mostly have to myself. One thing I’m hoping to improve on is making sure I strike a balance between doing different activities at night and having what I call “introvert time”. I’ve really enjoyed seeing new parts of Philly during my free time and trying out new hobbies like biking, but sometimes it can be draining if I don’t take time to relax.

And, to echo what most people have said, my to do list is my life, and my Outlook calendar is a close second favorite. I do my to do list in excel and try to break down pieces of tasks as much as I can.

I couldn’t agree with you more about using the correct time for whatever it is in need of something. Supposedly, mornings are best for cognitive work and when most humans are mentally most sharp. I’m not sure about that one as I’m definitely not a morning person and my own bias about mornings may cloud my judgment. Regardless, each of us has a specific way of living and what works for one person may not work for someone else. Knowing oneself can be just as important as studying ability when you are juggling multiple family and professional roles and schedules. Great post.

One tip for me to balance school work and my internship is to keep a “to do list” and put everything in my calendar. I look at the syllabus to put all the due dates in my calendar and set reminders accordingly. For my internship, when I get a clear idea about my project, I will create a schedule for the task. And another thing that keep my internship together is my team has a Stand Up meeting every morning. Everyone on the team talks about “What they did yesterday,” “What they are going to do today,” and “Do they need any help from anyone.” It is basically a daily reflection of what we did and what we are going to do. It keeps us on track and on time. Another tip for is I will think about my school work, due days and projects all the time. I think about those while I am walking on the street and while I am on the subway, etc. This helps me think through many problems before I start doing it. It also helps me to refine my plan, etc.