Balancing Social and Academic Life
Balancing social and academic life can be a feat for any student. While trying to finish assignments, study for exams, and meet deadlines, students also have the responsibility of maintaining friendships, participating in extracurricular activities, and attending social events. While totally normal, this responsibility can almost feel like a burden and at times can increase stress and make students feel torn on how best to spend their time.
Over my three semesters so far at NC State, I too have felt pressure to find a balance between social and academic life. While I am still trying to figure out the best rhythm for myself and my schedule, I have picked up some great tips and tricks along the way to help find balance in my daily routine and semesterly activity load.
These are my top 4 biggest tips for students for balancing social and academic life:
- Setting realistic goals through time management:
The best way I have found to achieve this is to dedicate a small amount of time every Sunday to plan out my coming week. I use both Google Calendar and a written planner to keep my academic tasks and social commitments separate but, have both in front of me when I plan out what tasks I need to accomplish each week to time manage accordingly. Additionally, I love checking out the University Events Calendar!
- Building a supportive social and academic circle:
While having a supportive social circle is always amazing, something I have found is that having a supportive academic circle on top of that can be a recipe for success. This can include taking an extra step to communicate with professors, seeking help from tutors in the Academic Success Center, or simply dropping into office hours to talk to TAs. Knowing there is always someone to help, whether that be a friend or a tutor, is always a great feeling!
- Recognizing that balance looks different for everyone:
I used to compare my academic and social life to my peers and was surprised they had time or energy for certain activities, wondered how they were able to maintain certain grades, etc. After speaking with friends and even some professors, I realized that balance can look different for everyone. What works for one student may not always work for another so it is important to recognize everyone’s social and academic lives can be different!
- Prioritizing You!
Constantly juggling academic pressures along with social pressures can weigh heavily on anyone’s mind which can lead to increased stress and anxiety. With this being said, it can be hard to take a moment for yourself when you have looming exams or a large social event coming up. By taking short breaks to study, talking out a plan for the event with friends, or listening to your favorite song on the way or class, you are taking a moment to practice mindfulness. I love to take classes through Wellness and Recreation and have been working on training for the Kripsy Kreme Challenge!
Whether or not these tips and tricks apply to you, or you’re passing them along to your student I hope they help to make this semester the best one yet!
Parent Ally,
Abby
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