Mawr Insight: Application Planning 101

Stressed about planning college applications? Emma Carney ‘25 is here to help! Emma is both a Tour Guide for the Admissions Office and a Career Peer for the Career and Civic Engagement Center (CCEC).  Here she shares insights on effective time management and organizational tips, from her time at the CCEC.  

Before we dive into your tips, tell us how long you’ve worked at the CCEC and what you most enjoy about the work. 

I have worked for the Career and Civic Engagement Center as a Career Peer since the fall of my sophomore year, I became a Team Lead my junior year, and l will continue as a Team Lead during my upcoming senior year. I really love working one-on-one with students, connecting with them, and helping them to identify their strengths and passions. It’s genuinely such a gift to be part of students’ processes of developing their confidence and meeting their goals and this kind of rewarding work is what I enjoy most about working for the CCEC.  

Can you share some effective strategies or tools you've found helpful for balancing academics, extracurriculars, and part-time work?  

I actually really enjoy having a busy schedule! Having a lot of structured time helps me to stay on top of tasks, avoid procrastination, and maintain a consistent sleep routine. In this busy schedule, it is so important for me to make sure that I’m being deliberate and scheduling in fun or relaxing activities as well, including dinner or movie nights with friends, going for a walk on Haverford’s Nature Trail, or just time to myself to decompress.  

For a long-term application or project, what are your tips for getting started and avoiding burnout?  

For longer projects, I would recommend that students take all the questions and/or required documents from the application portal or website and list them all within one document. This is helpful to have all the requirements in one place without having to scroll or go to another webpage to find them and it essentially creates a checklist for you to work your way through as you complete the application which is super helpful in making the process feel less overwhelming.  

What are the most valuable time management skills and organizational skills students should develop to thrive in college and beyond?  

Knowing your limits and being realistic with yourself is one of the most important skills to develop before, at, and after college. Especially at Bryn Mawr College, with so many passionate, engaged, and brilliant students and a multitude of clubs, sports, classes, and other activities, often students (including myself) run into the “too much good stuff” trap wherein they find themselves overbooked with too many activities and commitments, even though all those commitments are things that they enjoy doing. Honestly assessing your limits and setting firm boundaries about what are realistic commitments to make is key to preserving your schedule, your sleep, your academics, and your peace of mind. However, this is not to say that this is an easy skill to develop, or that you must do it alone! Here at Bryn Mawr, we have The Deans Office, Peer Mentors, Peer Tutors, and Career Counseling Staff to support you through the process of identifying your priorities and setting limits for yourself once you’re a Bryn Mawr student. My advice to incoming students would be to utilize the resources and structures of support on campus, and there are many!