Being a full-time college student keeps you busy enough, but then deciding to take on an internship during the semester adds even more to your schedule. You have to take into account your course load, a commute to the internship, extracurricular activities, and maintaining a normal college life on top of it.

At first, this sounds close to impossible; but in the end, an internship will do wonders once you start applying for jobs. Organizations will want to see how you were able to manage your time throughout college, as well as be able to gain real-world experience. So before you count out an internship opportunity, we’ve come up with ways that you can fit everything into your already packed schedule.

Get Organized

Create a manageable class schedule

When making a class schedule to work with your internship, you will need to take classes only on certain days throughout the week. For instance, if you only take classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, you will have time to work full days on Tuesday and Thursday, as well as some afternoons. Organizations will want to see you have purposely scheduled time for an internship during college. Just be sure that your schedule doesn’t spread your time too thin when looking at your upcoming semester.

Schedule time to study

Studying is obviously an important aspect of school, but it can sometimes be left until the last minute. You will need to set aside a specific time to get your studying in if your weeks are already jam-packed. One way to do this is to set aside a few afternoons during the week or a day on the weekend to focus on studying and schoolwork in general. Schedule it into your day like you would a meeting or other event that will take a few hours of your time, so that way you can plan ahead for it.

Track your schedule

Another key to having a successful semester is to keep track of your schedule. Add appointments or events to your phone’s calendar, use your Gmail or Outlook calendar, or try an organization app or online tool. Set up each class, your internship schedule, any activities or meetings, assignments coming up, deadlines due, etc. in your calendar and add reminders. It really is one of the easiest and most efficient ways to stay organized throughout the semester.

Stay Healthy

Create healthy eating habits

In college, it can be easy to avoid healthy eating habits. What you eat will either positively or negatively affect how you perform at school and during your internship. Start your day off with a nutritious breakfast which will give you the kick-start you need for the rest of your day. While it may be tempting to skip a meal or get some work done, don’t! Skipping meals will hinder your performance for the rest of the day.

For your internship and class, make sure you keep some healthy snacks with you. You can also prepare a healthy lunch the night before your internship and bring it into the office with you the next day. Preparing a meal the night before can save time and money, and help keep you on track while working.

Get enough sleep

Sleep is so important to your health and well-being in general, not even just during college. Now it’s no surprise to anyone in college that your sleep schedule will be off at times when you have late nights and early mornings. However, it’s imperative to try and get enough sleep, especially while having classes and working at an internship. Try to keep the same sleeping habits of when you go to bed and when you wake up, at least during the week.

Make time to exercise

Now you don’t have to necessarily spend three hours at the gym, but you need to fit in some type of physical activity during your weekly schedule. Take a walk on your lunch break, go for a quick run after classes, or find an activity that you enjoy. Saving time to exercise will give your mind a break in-between classes and an internship, as well as keep you refreshed for the next day.

Take Time for You

Join a club or committee

Taking time for yourself is extremely important when juggling a full course load and an internship. One of the best things you can do is get involved on campus. Find a club or committee that you are passionate about or are interested in and join it. This is a great way to not only take time for yourself but make new connections or learn something new.

Do something off campus

There are ways that you can find time for yourself that don’t involve your school. Try to find a way to volunteer or get involved in the community. Do you like to run? Join a local running club or participate in a 5k race. Do you like to do things outdoors? Find a local hiking trail or volunteer at a charity event. Go off campus, explore your town, and find new spots that you didn’t know about initially. These types of experiences will also impress a potential employer when you start looking for a job after college.

Enjoy the college experience

College is such a fun time of life, so lastly it’s important to take time for experiences and spend it with friends. Don’t get too caught up in the day-to-day activities that you forget to enjoy college.

If you’re thinking of taking on that full course load and internship, you can do it! It may seem a little daunting at first, but it is doable as long as you can get organized and learn how to best schedule your time. In the end, you will be thankful that you decided to go for it.

 

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