Balancing CS coursework, math proofs, side projects, and actually having a life at Notre Dame is a constant juggling act. After a semester of trial and error, I've landed on a system that keeps me sane. Here's what works.
The Tools
I keep it simple. The fewer tools, the fewer distractions:
- Notion for class notes and project planning. One workspace, everything in one place.
- GitHub for all code. Even small homework scripts get a repo. Future me always thanks past me.
- Cursor + Claude Code for building. I love being the architect -- thinking about system design while AI helps with the implementation.
- Google Calendar with time blocks. Every class, study session, and gym time gets a block.
The Routine
I'm not a morning person, but I've learned that my brain works best for hard problems (math proofs, algorithm design) between 10am and 1pm. Afternoons are for coding and project work. Evenings are for review and lighter tasks.
The goal isn't to be busy. The goal is to make progress on things that matter.
I try to do my hardest task first. If I have a Discrete Math problem set and a web dev project, the problem set comes first. Getting the hard thing done early makes everything else feel easier.
Staying Focused
The library is my office. Specifically, the quiet floors of Hesburgh. Something about being surrounded by other people working puts me in the right headspace. I put my phone in my backpack -- not on the desk, not in my pocket, in my backpack.
I work in 50-minute blocks with 10-minute breaks. Not exactly Pomodoro, but close enough. During breaks I walk around, grab water, maybe do a quick guitar practice session if I brought it.
The Non-Negotiables
Sleep, exercise, and social time are not optional. I used to sacrifice sleep to finish assignments, and it always backfired. Now I have a hard cutoff at midnight. Whatever isn't done by then gets finished the next morning.
Soccer and breakdancing keep me active. They're also great for clearing your head when you've been staring at a segfault for two hours.
The system isn't perfect, and I'm always tweaking it. But the core principle stays the same: be intentional about your time, and leave room for the things that make college worth it.