Tips on juggling school and internships

After doing 7 internships and graduating on time with no LOA, I can attest that the only reason this was possible was time management and organization 😂 These traits are crucial when it comes to juggling multiple commitments and helped me tide through many part time internships while doing school full time simultaneously. This meant I would pack my school days to 2-2.5 days a week and then have the other 2.5-3 days in the week spent doing my internship.

These are some tips I have used to manage my time effectively and maximize productivity.

🫀 Stay organized 🫀

Staying organized is key to managing multiple commitments. I keep track of important dates and deadlines using a planner or calendar, and I make sure to have all the necessary materials and resources ready for each task. This helps me stay on top of my workload and avoid last-minute rush. For example, at the start of the semester, after knowing all the course submission deadlines, I will put them in my calendar so I can see in advance how much lead time I have and plan accordingly

📝 Plan Ahead 📝

When I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed because of the amount of things to do, I write them all down in terms of what I need to do daily so I can see at a glance that I got this and everything is on track before deadlines hit e.g project submission or exams. Before starting each day or at the start of the week, I create a to-do list and prioritize tasks based on their importance and deadline.

📅 Block out my calendar for focus time 📅

For my company calendar, I block out time in my calendar labeled ‘DNS (Do not schedule)’ or ‘Focus time’ so that I’ve ample time to complete my tasks instead of having too many meetings and not enough time to complete my tasks.

⏰ Be intentional and set boundaries ⏰

Your time is precious! Learn to say no to extra sudden workload if they aren’t high priority and push back. Be comfortable with telling colleagues you don’t have bandwidth for extra tasks at the moment. Ruthlessly prioritize your to-dos and execute the most important ones first instead of taking up every work you have been asked to do

By planning ahead, setting realistic goals, avoiding procrastination, staying organized, prioritizing tasks, I have been able to successfully manage my time and achieve my goals. These strategies can help anyone who wants to improve their time management skills and maximize productivity.

P/S: I have started a telegram group for people to ask/share career tips, advice, experiences. If you are a fresh grad or undergraduate looking to gain advice or have advice you want to share with others, please join here 👇🏻

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