With the spring 2023 semester getting into full gear at WSU, many students will begin to feel the overwhelming pressure that comes with a full-time workload as a student. Luckily, WSU offers resources through the Academic Success and Career Center.

For students that struggle with the ability to balance a work, life and social balance, Morgan Jernigan, graduate assistant academic coach, recommends creating a calendar and routine that you can follow, making sure to plan out every hour of your day. 

“If I had to narrow it down to the key of work/school/life balance, I would say just making time for each one of those is key. It may feel like you have no time for anything other than school or work, but if you use good time management strategies, you usually have a lot more time than you think,” she said. 

Murrow College adviser Jeremy Watson said that he believes the key is setting a plan and sticking to that plan. By being deliberate in planning ahead, and making sure to schedule some leisure time, you will find that it is much easier to prioritize, he said. 

Watson said that he believes that if students start to enjoy their free time less due to stress, it will become drastically more difficult to get their work done. 

For ASCC Associate Director Amanda Morgan, she said that the biggest key to success is time management. 

“Honestly, most working professionals are still developing this skill, especially when it comes to work-life balance, so it’s 100% normal to continue working on this skill as a college student,” Morgan said. 

ASCC Assistant Director Alicia Petersen agreed with time management is a vital and important skill to be developed for students. 

“We want students to succeed at school and extracurriculars and etc., but with that comes time management, and this is a skill that has to be developed. This is where an academic coach can work one on one with the student to find a system that works for the,” she said.

ASCC is a fantastic resource for students that want to become better with time management, and they even have on-demand workshops for time management specifically, Morgan said. 

Morgan said that the easiest way for students to find resources for themselves if they begin to struggle is to visit the ASCC website and look around all of the resources and services readily available. 

The biggest key to success for Jernigan is being able to find motivation from yourself and the people that surround you. 

“Find what motivates you. List out the reasons why you are in school or studying what you are studying. Then when you are feeling unmotivated, look at that list and remind yourself why you are doing what you are doing,” Jernigan said. 

Peterson said that she believes there are three resources that are readily available that students should utilize to maximize their academic success: tutoring, academic coaching and using ASCC drop-in hours. 

On the ASCC website, the advising team outlined a simple two-step process to achieve success. Those steps are part one: be committed and part two: take control, according to ASCC. 

For the first step, their advice is to get and stay organized, know your syllabus and course schedule, and to treat class like a job.

For taking control, their advice is to maintain a healthy body and mind, take notes and go beyond the classroom.