As students settle back into the school routine, each week has a predictable arc: five days of classes, with assignments due during the week or on Sunday night, and hopefully, if given enough time, students can enjoy the weekend.
But truth be told, Sundays are often spent catching up on assignments, studying at the library or completing a paper before its looming due date on Monday. Assignments might even be due on Saturday. Each semester can often feel like a never-ending cycle of work or a dizzying array of assignments that leaves little time for leisure or rest.
Students, however, struggle to deal with this problem. It seems no matter how hard we work, especially between school and other commitments, our weekends are no longer ours. Each passing week, Saturdays and Sundays become absorbed into the school week. Every weekend feels more hectic than the one before it.
The truth is, our workloads will not get any lighter, nor our weekends any less busy. We must take an intentional approach to recovering during our weekend downtime to reenergize ourselves for the week to come.
One key element of taking the weekend back is effective time management. Procrastination often leads to additional stress, which means prioritizing work during the school week can be an effective step in allowing ourselves to enjoy the weekend.
When it comes to larger projects especially, getting a head start during the school week rather than waiting until late Sunday night allows us to enjoy our weekends more often.
It is important to note time management is not only about scheduling time to complete assignments, but it also requires allotting time for necessary breaks to prevent burnout. Effective time management also requires knowing yourself, such as planning to complete tasks when you have the most energy during the day.
But even with effective time management, setting aside time for oneself during the chaos of a semester is a challenge many college students have to overcome. But finding personal time for ourselves is enormously beneficial. According to Global Hands Inc., dedicating time to relax can have benefits such as lowering stress hormones, allowing your nervous system to reset and boosting overall well-being.
Taking the weekend back is not just about relaxing and a lack of productivity; it is about striking a delicate balance between time management and preserving our well-being. Taking back the weekend is about a mindful approach to each weekend, for our health, our well-being and our success as students.
David Asamoah is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to David about his column? Email him at da602024@ohio.edu.
