Your social and school balance is especially important while taking college classes. You need to find time in your schedule to hang out with friends and relax. You also need to prepare for upcoming tests and working on assignments. College gives you the chance to spread your wings and make new friends. You might:
- join a fraternity or sorority
- work on the newspaper
- play a sport
- join multiple clubs
When you know how to better achieve the right balance between all those activities, you can have fun and still do well in your classes.
Plan for Library Trips
Set time aside in your schedule to visit the library a few times a week or even every day. When you do homework in your dorm room, you have little control of the outside world. You never know:
- when a dorm mate might come in and talk for hours
- when your roommate decides to watch a movie a few feet away
- when other rooms might host loud parties
Working in the library lets you work in a quieter environment and focus on your studies.
Rely on Your Network
When trying to achieve a social and school balance, Laura McMullen of U.S. News & World Report recommends creating and using a network of connections. Your network might include:
- professionals you worked with in an internship
- students in your classes
- even your roommate
Ask those connections to help you find a balance between your personal commitments and your school obligations. Your roommate might help you study for an upcoming test or go over flashcards with you. Professional connections can prepare you for job interviews. Your classmates can host study groups and other meetings before a big test, too.
Create a Schedule
Creating a set schedule is one of the best ways to achieve the balance that you need. At the start of the semester, write down on your calendar all of the tests, quizzes, papers and assignments in the coming weeks. This shows you how long you have to prepare for each one. Create blocks of time that you’ll use to do those assignments. Make sure that you set aside time for research and test prep. This makes it easier for you to see exactly when everything is due. It shows you when you can set aside time for:
- clubs
- friends
- activities.
Set Goals
Setting realistic goals might be the key to achieving a social and school balance. In college, you might find yourself caught up in the sheer number of things you can do. This can lead to you signing up for more clubs and activities than you should. At the start of the semester, set goals for what you want to achieve over the coming months. You might decide to take three harder classes and two easier classes Or you might sign up for just a few clubs until you see the commitment that those clubs require of members.
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Trying to find time for your friends and time for school is one of the hardest problems facing college students. To achieve a proper social and school balance, you need to:
- set realistic goals
- decide on a schedule at the beginning of the semester
- use your networks
- spend time in the campus library.