Modern-day college students should graduate with honorary degrees in           juggling.
With the ever-increasing level of competition in the job market, we are encouraged — if not forced — to take on more than the average academic                              responsibilities.
Our advisers tell us that to secure a job when we graduate, we must distinguish ourselves by filling up our résumés with notable experience, as well as doing our best to network with our peers.
“We stress that [students] must have really good résumés when they leave,” said Helen Taylor, adviser for the Manship School of Mass Communication.
However, this pressure to stand out comes with  negative consequences, as students tend to over-schedule themselves with extracurricular activities.
Juggling full-time class schedules, jobs for résumé building or financial reasons and social responsibilities keep our schedules busy and our minds constantly revolving around the many tasks left to be completed.
This explains why so many of us live in a constant state of stress.
How can we deal with this issue?
When dealing with busy schedules, there are two basic skills we need to practice to keep our sanity.
The first is time management.
With 15 hours of classes, two jobs, some semblance of a social life and a time-consuming TV addiction, I’m practicing my juggling skills this semester like never  before.
And as someone who doesn’t handle stress well, I spend a lot of time                     meticulously planning my day.
My LSU planner is my best friend. It’s how I keep track of the work I have to complete on a certain day so I don’t fail my classes or get fired from my jobs. 
While it sounds simple, following a schedule can be an arduous and nearly impossible task.
There will be emergencies when changes need to be made, which is why I make sure not to leave assignments until the last minute.
Living on a schedule also leaves the option to have periods during the day where you can watch some TV, visit a friend or think about something other than school or work assignments. 
My second strategy for avoiding stress is prioritizing.
We are taught that we’ll be more appealing to employers if our résumés show multiple areas of expertise.
What no one tells us is we will never be considered “experts” if we attempt to master multiple areas at the same time.
As the millennial generation, we are both blessed and cursed with our ability to multitask. We can take notes in our biology class and make tailgating plans with our friends at the same time, which makes us think that we can work in Student Media, be president of our favorite student organization and have a minimum wage job all at the same time.
And while I know people who can balance all of those activities and still get stellar grades, I’m certainly not one of them.
Modern technology allows us to handle many tasks at once, but we have yet to be blessed with superhuman brainpower, which is why multitasking can lead to mediocre work.
“If you do too much, you’re too tired to perform well at your job,” Taylor said. “Your school work also suffers because you have less time. It’s all about balancing your responsibilities and prioritizing.”
It is our job to pick activities that we enjoy — and that will build our experience — as well as to realize when we are spreading ourselves too                                                      thin.
The challenge we face is to know how many objects we can handle, and work hard to keep the balance.  
Jose Bastidas is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Caracas, Venezuela. Find him on Twitter @jabastidas.