8 Tips For Balancing ‘Self’ And ‘Responsibility’

With all the demands of your daily life, it could be difficult to pay enough attention to yourself as well as your responsibilities. Whether you are at school, college or university, every step of your education can have various demands. Here are some tips to ensure you start managing your time effectively and that you don’t fall under pressure leading to further stress in your life!

Tip #1 – Schedule your time

Schedule your time and make sure that you get to all your responsibilities daily.

Tip #2 – Listen to your body

Your body will tell you if you’re tired or hungry. Don’t ignore the warning signs!  Your body requires rest and food to make sure that it functions properly – which is key especially during exam periods.

Tip #3 – Exercise

Exercise ensures a healthy mind and body. Going for a run could help clear your mind or going to gym might give you added perspective.

Tip #4 – Set goals for yourself

By setting goals, you can guarantee that your schedule works for you and you will have a great sense of achievement. Be sure to set realistic goals!

Tip #5 – Have responsible relationships

Ensure that you engage in relationships that are good for you. Learn to manage your relationships, mainly because it is very easy to be drawn into someone else’s life or problems. Striking a balance in life is key.

Tip #6 – Learn to say no

If you feel uncomfortable or if you know that you will not have enough time to do something or go somewhere, do not commit yourself to doing something that you will not be able to achieve!

Tip #7 – Do something for yourself and for others

Take the time to do something you love or enjoy to make sure that you get into the best headspace! Doing something for others can also be rewarding, so think about doing something for someone else too.

Tip #8 – Reward Yourself

Whether you enjoy some extra time on the soccer field, or one more hour with a novel, reward yourself for maintaining balance.

Why don’t you draw up a schedule and mark your average daily activities on the sheet in different colours. Pay attention to the volume of time that you might allocate to one activity, responsibility or task that might disrupt the balance of “self” and “responsibility”. If you are worried about your time management or if you are finding it difficult to reach a balance, schedule an appointment with your counselor at school, college or university. Ask your parents and friends for help if needed!

The entrepreneurial student – ten ways to supplement your income while studying

Now has never been a better time for tertiary students to start a business.  Much more than the graduates of the past couple of decades, current students need to be prepared to find ways to supplement their incomes. Let’s face it; the cost of living continues to increase every year and the job market is a tough place to break into, making it harder for students to make ends meet while they are studying and to find a job after they’ve finished. 

Launching a business while you’re studying sets you up for success.  Here are ten business ideas you can start while you’re studying that shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg to set up.  You can use one of these ideas or come up with your own.  Some of them may work better than others, or may not work at all, depending on your personal circumstances.   So choose wisely, and remember to adjust quickly if the business you start isn’t growing.

Before we start, let’s look at some quick tips for creating a successful student business:

* Innovation is good but it can also be overrated.  Don’t feel like you have to come up with the next big idea. The main idea is to start a simple business that generates a profit.  And that’s the main idea.

* Pick an idea that has an immediate and obvious customer base that needs or strongly wants what you plan to sell. Ask yourself if there is a demand for your product or service.

* After your initial investment, don’t put any more outside money into the business.  That’s your test for whether you’re succeeding.  The business needs to pay for itself and pay you.  Once you start, the business should generate enough for you to reinvest into the business and then begin to pay yourself.  If you see things dwindling, figure out whether you need to adjust prices, offerings, or do more marketing and selling.  Pay attention to customer inquiries and demands. They will lead you in the right direction.

* Remember the business is a great experience but it’s not the main reason you are on campus.  You are there to get a great education.  So develop discipline and time management skills that will allow you to go to class, get good results and still operate your business in your free time.

Our 10 student business ideas:

1. Tutoring service – if you’re attending university or college on a scholarship or bursary and know a required subject very well, consider start a tutoring service for local elementary or high school students who want to get into a good university or college like you.

2. Staffing service specializing in internships – start an on-campus staffing service where you help local or national businesses connect with the best students for internships and help students who want to do internships find the best opportunity.

3. Personal training service – are you athletic and into sports?  Think about starting a personal training service for students wanting to get fit and active.

4. Graphic arts and design services for presentations and papers – if you enjoy graphic arts and presentation design and you’re good at it, think about offering these services to students (and perhaps lecturers too) who want to jazz up their research and reports.

5. CV writing service – are you good at finding the best angles to present information? Start a CV writing service helping students put their experience in the best possible format and phrasing to attract interview and career opportunities.

6. Hair styling and grooming services – provide hair cuts or hair styling as a mobile hairdresser or stylist.

7. Babysitting service – if you know how to look after children and you’re responsible and reliable, starting a small au pair business could be an easy way to make extra income.

8. Bookkeeping service – if you’re studying accounting and have a love for numbers offer to keep books for a few small local businesses or find customers online.

9. Photography and video services – if you have a great eye for composing scenes and images consider starting a photography and video service. You can offer your services to students and faculty, take photos and videos of campus events and help local businesses produce and post videos online.

10. T-shirt company – really cool t-shirts just never get old and they’re the standard uniform for lots of college students. Come up with neat designs or funny sayings or create custom shirts for on-campus organisations and find someone to print the shirts for you and you’re in business!

Are you a student thinking about starting a small business? What do you think about these ideas? What are you excited about, or maybe scared about? Tell us what you think in the comments section below!