How to Balance College Life Going to college can be a fantastic experience for a variety of reasons. Not only are you learning new things about the world and growing as a person, but you also get to truly control your life. While your teachers may tell you that you have an assignment due by the end of the week, you are the one who decides if you’re going to do that right away or wait until the night before. Scheduling your school work can get even more difficult when you throw an active social life into the mix, something that tends to happen at a lot of colleges. So how do you manage everything?
It’s Okay to Have Fun The first thing that you should do is acknowledge that you have personal needs. While your first priority should be your schooling, it is unrealistic to assume that your needs can continue to take a backseat. Managing college is not about strangling your desires for sleep, food, or fun; it’s about learning to incorporate everything into your schedule. So don’t feel guilty for going out with friends and having a good time, just make sure that you do so responsibly and that you are in control over your schedule.
Be Ready to Sacrifice While there is nothing wrong with taking a well-deserved break every once in a while, you should also be ready to sacrifice your enjoyment when something threatens your priorities. Although there may be a number of parties or social events that you are able to take part in throughout the semester, there will also inevitably be one or two occasions where you will have to choose between going out with friends and writing a paper which is due the next day. The best way to combat this is to decide ahead of time that you will always turn in great work to your professors. That way you can hold yourself to a high academic standard, which will prompt you to schedule out your week in advance so you can have your assignments done before party time.
Stay Organized One of the most frustrating things that can happen during college is forgetting about deadlines or tests. Nothing is worse than showing up to class and realizing that you simply forgot to write your research paper over the weekend. Not only can this lower your grade by a huge percentage, but it is so easily avoidable. Ensure that you organize your life, keeping careful track of your classes and assignments. Not only will this help you in college, but it will also assist you throughout the rest of your life.
Attempting to balance your college life can seem impossible, but it will work if you put forth the effort. Whether you’re going to college in Miami or Idaho Falls, these principles will help you to have the best college experience you can ask for. Photo Credit: See-ming Lee, Mircea