Most students can’t imagine their lives without a pet. However, it is not every pet owner that plans to take their pets to college with them. And while, combining pet and college responsibilities can be challenging it can be done well. However, it is important to plan to make the most of your time at college, and if you are keeping pets at college how to manage their care and well being.

Juggling pet responsibilities at college

Getting pets while still in college is rather common among young people. Some have dreamed of having a pet since they were little children. Others may bring their family pet to campus or a rental place. But, overall, many students have to balance their college and pet duties.

It’s not always easy, though. Both these responsibilities require maximum care and attention. Sometimes, young people may feel overwhelmed with how many chores they have to complete in a day. In fact, failing this balancing act may put your college performance or, worse, your pet’s health at risk. Hence, you better learn how to accommodate all of your and your pet’s needs in advance. Here’s how to juggle college and pet responsibilities.

Build a schedule to combine pets with your college commitments

A student’s life is already full of classes, homework, and other college-related activities. Add a pet to such a lifestyle, and you have a packed schedule already. So, one needs good time management skills to balance college and pet responsibilities.

For the most part, your pet lives by a very specific time schedule. You have to respect it and help them maintain it. Your pet must eat and sleep at certain hours. In between those essential needs, they also need time to play, be active, and be social. Thus, your life as a pet owner will basically turn around your pet’s schedule.

Even if you have the least demanding pets possible, let’s say fish or snakes, they still need you for many reasons. Thus, you will need to schedule a cleaning day every now and then. Regular doctors’ appointments, food purchases, etc., also take time and planning. You should stay organized to keep track of all your to-dos in a day, week, and month. Thus, you’ll always know when your dog’s next vaccination or what date is your last deadline.

Overall, a well-built schedule will help you assess your time better and set realistic goals for your study plans and social life.

Manage your time very well

Now, once you have a proper schedule to run by, see how much time you waste for nothing. Be honest with yourself and analyze all the things you can avoid during the day to dedicate more time to your pet and studying. Overall, you simply need to set priorities and eliminate everything that doesn’t help you achieve those.

Your plate is already full with all the responsibilities you already have. So, don’t make life harder by engaging in unproductive activities and procrastination. Reduce your time on social media. Make daily to-do lists. Plan your activities to stay focused and busy.

Yet, don’t put too much stress on yourself over your goals. There are many ways you can reduce stress. Exercising, talking to a friend, or taking your pet on a walk are just a few of them.

Find help for when you need support for your pets

You don’t always have to do everything alone. Sometimes we need help or good-quality rest. Fortunately, you can easily arrange that. For example, plan a perfect self-care day for yourself while entrusting your homework to the professionals. Sometimes, delegating a single assignment to others can help you increase your overall productivity in school. To read things like an oxessays.com review to see how to find and get such help.

In addition, you don’t even have to spend a self-care day with your pet if you don’t want to. It’s okay to feel like you need some alone time. You can always find a pet sitter or a pet hotel. These professionals will know how to take the best care of your pet while doing the same for yourself.

Be kind to yourself and your pets

Don’t seek perfection in your every move. You won’t find it there. Having a pet and being a college student can get messy sometimes. None of these areas is fully under your control. Your pet can have a moody day too. Even a perfectly trained dog can cause chaos in your morning walk. A cat may get sick and make you change plans for a day or week.

Life happens. You have to be ready to face unexpected challenges. So don’t be too harsh on yourself when you can’t achieve everything from your to-do list. Besides, college is never a smooth ride either. It can get better or worse any day. Sometimes you feel at the top of the class. Other times you fall behind without knowing how it happened. It’s part of the whole adult life experience.

You’ll get through it. Just make sure to stay kind to yourself. Stress doesn’t help you be more productive or efficient. In fact, try spending more time with your pets on days like that. They can give you all the love in the world.

Keeping pets at college – In summary

Being a student with a pet can get stressful or challenging at times. Yet, it’s nothing to worry about. You have everything you need to overcome those obstacles. Just make sure to track your time, make enough room for homework and spend much-needed time with your pets. It’s a bit more to handle than just being a single student. You are also a pet parent now. Still, your pet will always be worth it. Giving them your love in return is the least you can do.

Further reading about petsitting and pet care

At Housesitmatch.com we like to share useful blogs and practical advice about housesitters, housesitting and pet sitting. We hope you find this small selection of our blogs on house sitters useful.

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