5 answers
Cooper
Student
Wooster, Ohio
1
Question
Asked
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What is the best way to manage time in college when balancing leadership roles and extra-curricular events?
I am going to be an RA next year, as well as a leader in Young Life. Along with this, I will be taking time consuming classes next year for my major. How do I balance all of this and still get good grades?
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5 answers
Jake Sherman
Operational Excellence
1
Answer
London, Ontario, Canada
Updated
Jake’s Answer
You've got some great advice from the other contributors already, but here's mine if it helps.
Balancing classes, RA duties, and Young Life is doable with the right mindset and habits. Start by knowing why you’re doing each activity...this helps when you have to prioritize. Each week, plan ahead by blocking out non-negotiable time for class, leadership roles, and studying. Use gaps between commitments to get small tasks done.
Focus on what matters most. Ask yourself: what work drives most of your results? Spend more time on that and less on things with smaller impact. Check in frequently on what went well, what didn’t, and what needs adjusting.
Make time for rest and your well-being. Sleep, exercise, and downtime aren’t optional....they help you stay sharp. Be honest with yourself and others when you’re overloaded. People can’t help if they don’t know you’re struggling.
Remember, not every semester has to be perfectly balanced. Some seasons may be heavier on academics or leadership, and that’s okay. What matters is staying intentional and flexible. You won’t always get it perfect, but that’s part of learning. You’ve got this.
Balancing classes, RA duties, and Young Life is doable with the right mindset and habits. Start by knowing why you’re doing each activity...this helps when you have to prioritize. Each week, plan ahead by blocking out non-negotiable time for class, leadership roles, and studying. Use gaps between commitments to get small tasks done.
Focus on what matters most. Ask yourself: what work drives most of your results? Spend more time on that and less on things with smaller impact. Check in frequently on what went well, what didn’t, and what needs adjusting.
Make time for rest and your well-being. Sleep, exercise, and downtime aren’t optional....they help you stay sharp. Be honest with yourself and others when you’re overloaded. People can’t help if they don’t know you’re struggling.
Remember, not every semester has to be perfectly balanced. Some seasons may be heavier on academics or leadership, and that’s okay. What matters is staying intentional and flexible. You won’t always get it perfect, but that’s part of learning. You’ve got this.
Roujean Sabouri
Director of Sales Enablement
16
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Roujean’s Answer
That’s an exciting year ahead—and a full plate! Balancing leadership, extracurriculars, and academics is totally doable with the right systems in place. Here are a few tips that can help:
1. Time Block Your Week Every Sunday
Pick a consistent time each Sunday to plan your week. Block out your non-negotiables first (class, RA duties, Young Life), then set specific time blocks for studying, assignments, and rest. Seeing it all helps you stay realistic about your bandwidth.
2. Stick to 60-Minute Focus Sessions
When it’s time to study, set a timer and do one hour of focused work—no distractions. Even 1–2 of these a day can keep you on track academically without burning out.
3. Learn to Say “Not Right Now”
You’ll get tons of opportunities, but you can’t do everything at once. If something doesn’t fit your current schedule or energy level, say “not right now” instead of stretching yourself too thin. Protect your time like it’s gold—because it is.
As a professional with over 15 years of experience—and a mom to a toddler—I still live by these rules. They’ve helped me stay grounded, focused, and successful even with a packed schedule. I hope you find these strategies helpful!
1. Time Block Your Week Every Sunday
Pick a consistent time each Sunday to plan your week. Block out your non-negotiables first (class, RA duties, Young Life), then set specific time blocks for studying, assignments, and rest. Seeing it all helps you stay realistic about your bandwidth.
2. Stick to 60-Minute Focus Sessions
When it’s time to study, set a timer and do one hour of focused work—no distractions. Even 1–2 of these a day can keep you on track academically without burning out.
3. Learn to Say “Not Right Now”
You’ll get tons of opportunities, but you can’t do everything at once. If something doesn’t fit your current schedule or energy level, say “not right now” instead of stretching yourself too thin. Protect your time like it’s gold—because it is.
As a professional with over 15 years of experience—and a mom to a toddler—I still live by these rules. They’ve helped me stay grounded, focused, and successful even with a packed schedule. I hope you find these strategies helpful!
Jeremy Brown
Manager
2
Answers
San Antonio, Texas
Updated
Jeremy’s Answer
Hey Cooper,
I can let you know what I did, and maybe that'll work for you. For context, I was taking 16-18 credit hours, working full-time, was a member of our Campus Program Board and a DJ for the college radio station.
I figured out what my priorities were and then tried to schedule things from there. Know the things that HAVE to get done daily/weekly. Start there. Then know what CAN be done now but you've got some time. Finally, what would be NICE to get done but if it doesn't, it doesn't.
After you've figured out your priorities, see where you have blocks of time. Do you have an hour between classes? Is that a time for you to do homework? Can you do RA or Young Life duties then? Try to find a productive use of that down time so it's not needed later. Is there a block of time where you're not "on duty" as an RA? Use that to focus on your high priorities. Try to map things out, but be aware that it won't always go according to plan.
I will say that know your priorities and setting a schedule for yourself will definitely help. That said, a very likely scenario is that you are going to sacrifice at least one of either your sleep or free time depending on how heavy your class load is and how involved the duties are for RA and Young Life. If your top priority is good grades, you need to remind yourself of that when you're invited out but you've got a paper due in the morning. There are only 24 hours in the day. You will need to figure out how many hours are required to go to class, do homework, be an RA, and lead Young Life. From there, how many hours are left? That is what you have left for everything else in your life including sleep and fun.
College can be a great experience, but you're going to have to find a balance that allows you to achieve your goals while still keeping you sane and healthy.
Good luck in school, and I hope everything goes well for you.
I can let you know what I did, and maybe that'll work for you. For context, I was taking 16-18 credit hours, working full-time, was a member of our Campus Program Board and a DJ for the college radio station.
I figured out what my priorities were and then tried to schedule things from there. Know the things that HAVE to get done daily/weekly. Start there. Then know what CAN be done now but you've got some time. Finally, what would be NICE to get done but if it doesn't, it doesn't.
After you've figured out your priorities, see where you have blocks of time. Do you have an hour between classes? Is that a time for you to do homework? Can you do RA or Young Life duties then? Try to find a productive use of that down time so it's not needed later. Is there a block of time where you're not "on duty" as an RA? Use that to focus on your high priorities. Try to map things out, but be aware that it won't always go according to plan.
I will say that know your priorities and setting a schedule for yourself will definitely help. That said, a very likely scenario is that you are going to sacrifice at least one of either your sleep or free time depending on how heavy your class load is and how involved the duties are for RA and Young Life. If your top priority is good grades, you need to remind yourself of that when you're invited out but you've got a paper due in the morning. There are only 24 hours in the day. You will need to figure out how many hours are required to go to class, do homework, be an RA, and lead Young Life. From there, how many hours are left? That is what you have left for everything else in your life including sleep and fun.
College can be a great experience, but you're going to have to find a balance that allows you to achieve your goals while still keeping you sane and healthy.
Good luck in school, and I hope everything goes well for you.
Kristin Thomas
Customer Value Management
3
Answers
Indianapolis, Indiana
Updated
Kristin’s Answer
I really like this question! The best tip I got was to treat school like a 9-5 job. I used evenings and weekends for internships, leadership roles, community activities, and hanging out with friends. It wasn't easy to fit everything in, but this approach made me feel super productive and proud. My main goal was to focus on classes and learning, so I finished most of my schoolwork by noon. This gave me more time than I expected for extra activities. It taught me awesome time and energy management skills that worked great in my job later on!
Jasmeet Kaur
4
Answers
Cumberland, Rhode Island
Updated
Jasmeet’s Answer
Make a "To Do" list with priority and take time for exercise / well - being for your self ( could be meditate, gym). Connect with people you like to talk in this time to keep yourself positive