This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cengage Unlimited. The opinions and text are all mine. 

Happy Wednesday, marblelous babes!

As a recent grad, one of the questions I get asked time and time again is how I managed my hectic school workload and graduated with honors, especially when I was juggling being a full-time student, part-time employee, and of course, a full-time blogger. As twenty something millennial women, we’re constantly juggling many titles in our lives all at once – student, employee, intern, the list goes on. We all want to empower ourselves with a #GIRLBOSS lifestyle, but at the same time, we don’t want to be deprived of the simple pleasures and joys in life.

With the start of the new year, I know many of you will be gearing up and preparing yourselves for the spring semester, so I thought this would be perfect timing for me to share my tips, tricks, and hacks for balancing a healthy social lifestyle.

1. Make A Planner or Calendar Your New Best Friend

Throughout my four years in college, my online calendar was literally my best friend. When you receive your syllabus for your classes during the first week of the semester, the first thing I recommend is to open up your planner or calendar and fill out every important due date for assignments, quizzes, midterms, final exams, you name it. As the semester progresses, pull up your planner or calendar to make necessary changes or fill new important dates in. The first thing I do every morning is review all the upcoming events I have for the rest of the week and it’s been a LIFESAVER, not only for me as a student but as a full-time blogger as well. It’s SO important that you’re mentally and physically prepared for everything, and a planner or calendar helps eliminate the element of surprise or the dreaded “I didn’t know our first midterm is tomorrow?!?”

2. Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize

I can’t stress this enough. Everyday, I set goals and make to-do lists for what needs to get done. It’s the most efficient way for me to stay organized and ensure my priorities are in check. After setting goals and making a list, I rank each item in order of importance and try to get at least 75% of them done. Trust me, there is nothing more satisfying than checking items off your list.

3. Invest in Cengage Unlimited

Let’s be real… Textbooks can get SO expensive. And gone are the days where we can rent or buy used textbooks because majority of professors now require students to purchase textbook bundles that come with access codes to online platforms like MindTap and WebAssign. Enter Cengage Unlimited – a subscription service that gives students access to all their Cengage access codes on platforms like MindTap and WebAssign, a library of over 20 thousand online textbooks, a textbook rental for $7.99 plus free shipping for every activated course, access to their new Career Readiness Center, study guides, test preps, flashcards powered by Quizlet, and perks from partners like Chegg- all for one price of $119.99 per semester (or $179.99 for a year), no matter how many classes you’re enrolled in. That’s less than the price of ONE textbook bundle!

I’m not even kidding when I say that Cengage Unlimited is the KEY to success in college. I can’t even remember how many times Quizlet alone has been a total lifesaver for me – I use their flashcards ALL the time when I’m prepping for quizzes, midterms, and final exams. It’s so useful having access to study guides and test preps at my fingertips and it has helped me ace all of my tests.

With Cengage Unlimited, I love that I have access to all of my online resources on the go because I can pull up just what I need, whenever I want, and wherever I’m at, especially those 5 crucial minutes right before that dreaded test! No more lugging big, heavy, and bulky textbooks around for this petite girl!

For more information on Cengage Unlimited, click here!

4. Block Time Off For Yourself

This is CRUCIAL for your sanity, especially if you’re juggling many things in your life. When I come home from classes or work, I ALWAYS kick back, relax, and unwind on my bed for an hour and catch up on one of my favorite TV shows. It honestly helps take away and set aside all of that school or work stress  to ensure I’m not bringing all of that stress back home with me. After relaxing for an hour, I get down to business and work on my to-do list for the day.

During weekends, I make sure to invest in my relationship and spend time with Vic. If I have an important assignment, test, or blog post in the upcoming week, then I’ll also take a couple of hours during the weekend to work on those priorities. I also use weekends to attend blog events, hang out with my friends, and have some “me” time.