Work hard, play hard 🩺

As exams approach, it's the perfect time to gear up with some academic tips and tricks—straight from a fellow student! In this week’s blog, we’ll tackle the question: “How do you balance school and social life?”

Meet Minjun—a rising junior at the University of Michigan. He's on a pre-med track, majoring in Biology, Health, and Society, and has been using Notability for 7 years! Wow! Let's hear what he has to say about work-life balance.

Morning to night routine 📓

For Minjun, each day begins with science lectures like physiology and biochemistry. After class, he spends several hours in the lab. By late afternoon, he tackles school assignments and reading academic journals. To finish off his day, Minjun heads to the library or participates in club events—quite the packed schedule! So, how does he juggle it all?

🔑The key—Notability: “I always bring my iPad or laptop to class to take notes on Notability […] To read my journal papers, I easily import them into Notability for analysis. It keeps everything organized and saves me so much time switching between different assignments and class material.”

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The magic number: 3 ✨

Minjun shares that there are 3 Notability tools that makes his routine more manageable: 

1. 🖍Custom colors: “It is especially helpful when drawing complicated diagrams. The ability to conveniently change the color of the pen and highlighter allows me to take notes seamlessly.”

2. 🗂 Subjects and dividers: “It’s easy to create various groups and subgroups, which helps keep me organized, especially when I have a lot of lecture notes to study.”

2. ☁️ iCloud Sync: “Whenever I want to type my notes, I can simply use my laptop, and when I need to start handwriting or highlighting, I can effortlessly switch back to my iPad.”

Chasing balance ⚖️

Now that we’ve seen how Minjun streamlines his workload with Notability, let’s see how he balances it all with his personal life. He shares that managing his time requires planning and prioritization: “I use a combination of digital tools and techniques to stay organized and efficient.”

Digital tools such as Notability’s templates for creating daily schedules and to-do lists help him block out time and stay on top of responsibilities. Also, techniques like goal-setting can help with focus and time management.

Minjun also emphasizes the importance of setting aside time for hobbies and relaxation in order to stay grounded! 

Some tips & tidbits 🔎

A TL;DR from Minjun about work-life balance for biology students (and everyone else!): 

1. Stay organized – especially with studying
2. When studying for difficult science courses, utilize active studying; try to use diagrams and flashcards (like Notability tape feature)
3. Don’t procrastinate.

By setting boundaries, prioritizing self-care, and making intentional choices, you can create harmony between your responsibilities and personal well-being. Remember, balance looks different for everyone, so find what works best for you. Embrace the journey of balancing work and life!

Keep an eye out for more inspiring stories from student users, plus handy tips for academic success! Whether it’s staying motivated or learning about study tips, we’re here to provide you with all the tools you need to thrive this school year 💙

Download Notability for free ✨