How to Deal with Heavy Workload in College

a girl in a tiger sweater is sitting at the table with lots of books

Modified on May 5, 2023

College can be one of the most exciting times of your life, but many people find the transition from high school to university challenging. In fact, about 30 percent of college freshmen drop out of school in their first year, no doubt due to difficulties managing a heavy college workload. It doesn’t have to be that way, however. If you put in a little bit of effort to get organized, you can manage all of your studies and still have time to enjoy yourself, too. Here are some great tips for how to deal with a heavy workload in college.

Keep a Calendar

One of the most important skills you’ll have to build in college is time management. From day one, you’ll need to be able to keep track of when tests and key assignments are due for all of your classes. Then, when you factor in your classes and any extracurricular or social activities you may participate in, you’ll quickly see that managing your time is too complex and important to just wing it. Instead, you should use a calendar to ensure you’re aware of when all your tests and assignments are due and when all of your classes and any other activities you participate in occur.

Keeping a calendar, either by using an app or an actual monthly planner notebook, can help you record all of your key dates as soon as you find them out. This will help you avoid forgetting a key milestone or inadvertently creating schedule conflicts for yourself by planning two events to occur at the same time. By the way, you should definitely check out our blog post about the best student planner apps – there is a ton of useful info there. Finally, creating a calendar will help you visualize time, enabling you to plan to use your time more effectively.

Make a Plan

Once you can visualize all of the work that you have to do in a given time period, you can make a plan for how you’re going to complete it. For example, if you know you have a test on a given date, you can plan for how you’re going to study it. Similarly, if you have a major class project due, such as an essay or written report, you can schedule time for when you’re going to complete that work as well.

Besides assessing the time available for your work, you can also figure out the “how” or your strategy for completing the work. For example, if you have sufficient time left to prepare a paper on a local political event, you may be able to attend the event and talk to the participants. Conversely, if you feel you need more time to study for an exam, it may make sense to postpone or cancel other less important activities to afford you the maximum time to prepare.

If you really face difficulties finding the time to complete all of your assignments, there are a few possible ways to solve this problem. The first one is to give up some of the extracurriculars that you attend. Sadly, some students even give up their hobbies.

Another way is to plan your next semester before it starts. Check the required credits and pick only the courses that you need. Consider the fact that some courses require more time and effort than the others that are rather easy college classes. You should definitely work on your academic plan beforehand. Your academic advisor is the one you should talk to as they can help you organize your studies before the semester starts.

However, if you are in the middle of a tough semester and can’t give up any of the courses you’ve picked, you can turn to our team to help you share your workload and help you with your deadlines.

Find a Safe Place

A key part of managing your heavy college workload is being as productive as possible when working. Your time is your most valuable resource in college, and if you waste it due to distractions, it will end up taking longer to complete critical tasks. You should try to find a place, or places, where you feel you can work as effectively as possible. If your dorm room or apartment is too noisy or has other distractions, this is especially important. College libraries are a good choice for getting away to study. They usually offer tables, desks, and other nooks where you can work or study without being disturbed; additionally, if you have access to classrooms or other spaces on your campus during off-hours, those can offer nice, quiet workspaces as well. Finally, if you’re most productive when the coffee flows freely, a nearby coffee shop may be your best bet to get all of your work done.

Take a Break

While dealing with your heavy college workload, you will also need to ensure you avoid burnout. If all you do is work, go to class, and little else, you’ll soon find your hard work producing diminishing returns. When you have to study or do a great deal of work on a project, make sure you factor study breaks into your plan; even a simple act such as taking a short walk can help energize you and help you study more effectively. You should also plug time into your schedule for fun events that have nothing to do with your college workload as well, such as attending sporting events, plays, and other activities. Doing so will give your mind a rest, so you can stay focused when it comes time to work.

Stay Healthy

You’ll have trouble managing your heavy college workload if you’re sick all the time or keep falling asleep in class. Make sure your busy schedule doesn’t leave you run down. Try to ensure you get an adequate amount of sleep every night. You should also avoid surviving on junk food alone and eat healthy foods as much as possible. Take care of yourself if you catch a cold or get sick; go to your clinic to get looked at, get medicine, and rest as much as possible to get better. Additionally, if you can, participate in an intramural sport or other athletic activity and try to make it to your college gym as much as possible. Keeping yourself healthy and well-rested will help ensure you need to study hard and get your work done.

Final Thoughts

Managing a heavy college workload can be challenging, but you can do it! Just follow these great tips here, and you’ll be able to tackle all of your classes and studies and still find time to enjoy yourself along the way. Good luck as you begin your exciting college career!