Hello, my name is Riley Unekis, I grew up in lovely Lawrence Kansas, and am an undergraduate student at IIT in their Army ROTC program majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Joining the ROTC program at IIT was not originally part of my college plan. Being in the program for about half a year now I don’t regret a thing. Adding ROTC work on top of my school work was a little bit of a challenge at first, but I quickly adjusted and now it is just ingrained into my daily schedule. In high school, I was a very busy student with a multitude of leadership positions in the many clubs/ sports I was involved in. ROTC has filled the void that my high school activities took up. Here are a few tips and tricks I have learned over the years and recent months for how to stay on top of school, the army, and social lives.
Having a journal, notebook, or checklist is crucial to my system. Almost every week I write up a ‘to-do’ list. This is just a list of things I need to do that week. Some examples would be -physics homework (due friday) or -fold laundry (NEED TO SLEEP!!!). They are little notes with due dates or times I think would work best for me. These lists can be as fancy as I want them to be, some weeks I am very energetic and add color with little doodles in the corner, others they are just pencil lists straight to the point. When I am writing stuff down I add imfice to what needs to be done first or what is more important.
Google calendar is amazing. I would recommend this for anyone, you can add your class schedule, when important large tests are, trips you are taking, add digital reminders about assignments, when your SI, office hours, or study group times are. There is a multitude of things you can do and it’s completely free. I have my whole class schedule in it with SI and office hours. I also have upcoming ROTC trips like field exercises or fitness tests.
My last tip is to know when to stop. Sometimes continuing late into the night when you are mentaly and physically exhausted is not the best decision. Sleep is very important especially in a very stressful environment that is college. This idea can be challenging especially when we base our worth on how productive we are. When you have a very busy day take brain breaks throughout assignments/ classes. These can be taking a walk, taking a small nap, getting coffee, moving to a new study location, zoning out to music. Let your brain relax then jump back into that math assignment or start your next assignment. A big thing that relieves my stress is exercising. I truly enjoy waking up each morning and working out with people that I can conversat and joke with, sure I normally leave tired and sore but I also almost always have a smile on my face. My friend and I all lean on each other for support when things get tough and I know for a fact I would not have gotten through the first semester without them. It’s all about listening to your body.
Hopefully, this little ramble can help you manage your time better or give you a helpful tip that will add to your daily habits. If you are looking for more ideas I am sure you can surf the internet for more and possibly better solutions. I am only 19 and do not know all the answers to the universe but if I can make a difference in one person’s life I call that a job well done. 🙂
