It doesn't feel like I've been blogging albeit the short haitus, since my first year of uni. It's all gone so fast! During some semesters it's been harder to find time to sit down at my laptop and blog but in others, finding the time to write has been much easier. Sometimes prioritising uni first (after all, you're paying for it) is best, but that doesn't mean that your creativity and love of blogging has to slow down!
Here are a few things that help me manage the excitement of blogging alongside my degree work:
Don't put crazy pressure on yourself. Let's start with the cheesiest one that your lecturer will hate me for. Nothing is fun when you're under pressure so don't put so much pressure on yourself. That coursework will be done if you do a little everyday and don't fret over what you can't control! Find a balance of how much work you can take at one time and then-
Use your down time to blog. If blogging really is something that you enjoy then while you're Netflix and chilling of an evening it should be easy to your laptop/tablet out and write. ♥ Again, with less pressure- remember, your readers don't mind if you need a week to catch up or focus on other things.
Set one day a week to write/schedule posts. This can be more than a day if you need, you decide! Sunday is usually my day to happily hammer out as many posts as I can and not worry about any coursework, as there are six more days of the week for that. Giving yourself permission and writing without that feeling of guilt makes me more productive!
Have a planner. I've talked about my bullet journal before, but now I need a planner with two sides! One dedicated to my studies to-do and one solely for blogging/home tasks. There's nothing more relieving than looking in your planner and not feeling jumbled up about what needs doing. Usually , I fill up my week plan on a Sunday too, just because the day is set aside already!
Schedule in advance. Scheduling is my saviour. If you're going to need the other days of the week to cram, schedule your blog posts and tweets for a day or two so you don't need to think about it!
Combine both! If you're on a creative course, is there a way you can combine your love of blogging with your love of your degree? For me, I study Illustration so creating a whole project around blog headers etc is doable, if I really wanted to.
Write down ideas as they come to you. If you ever steal my phone (get awaaaay) you'll notice a little note section. Probably nonsensical to anybody else but secretly, it's a goldmine of ideas! Jotting down thoughts mean that whenever you get an urge to write, your content ideas are right beside you.
Write on your commute. Do you ever get the train, bus, coach to uni or home? Use this time to do any pending work or blogging! Commuting is the perfect time to focus and be alone in your thoughts, really get sh*t done.
Bulk shoot your photos. If you have twenty minutes spare before heading to class or during a long lunch break, bulk shoot some blog photos. Those ideas in your notes will be ready to go before you know it! This means more time to relax of an evening, no rushing to catch the last light after class so more time that you can spend at uni doing yo' degree thang. It's all about balance and noticing when you have the time and energy.
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I hope you find these tips helpful. Let me know in the comments if you have anything that helps you manage time! What course are you studying?
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