Socializing Vs Studying: How To Balance The Two May 11, 2016My LifeOff

Modern life is arguably one long balancing act. We have to balance work with play, spending with saving, and family with friends. If we’re considering college or have just enrolled, we can add an additional balancing act to this list. Socializing or studying. Going to college at any age can be a wonderful opportunity to meet new people. Many students make lifelong friends or even meet their spouses at college. Others are already networking effectively and building an entire portfolio of like-minded individuals. Socializing at college can be as important to our development as studying. It teaches us to be adaptable, compassionate, and to communicate effectively. It helps us to unwind and keep perspective too. But with that being said, we cannot lose sight of why we are at college. College provides the opportunity to study at a high level. Gaining a recognized qualification can open many professional and financial doors for us. It can be easy to become overwhelmed and exhilarating by the social side of college. But we should pay close attention to whether or not we are achieving our academic goals. Remember, you can socialize for free. You are likely to be paying tuition fees, rent, and other charges to be in college. Make sure you are getting your money’s worth by giving yourself every opportunity to succeed.

With some careful consideration and discipline, you can balance both socializing and studying effectively. Read on to discover how.

Make A Timetable
Studying and socializing only truly compete with each other if we don’t know how much time we have. Losing track of time can meet that we miss deadlines or do shoddy work. On the social side it can mean that we overlook important dates with friends or family. If we can increase our awareness of the way we’re spending our time, we are less likely to waste it. One of the most effective ways of managing our time is to create a timetable. Timetables might be something that we have not returned to since our schooling days. We can easily see them as restrictive or like a punishment. But the truth is that timetables can actually free us. They can enable us to feel free of the worry that comes with constantly checking the time. They can also provide us with a clear idea of just how much time we have to spare. This means that we can then enjoy our free time with no guilt, confident that we will get everything done. When we make a timetable we should include all our non-negotiable commitments first. It might be getting the children ready for school, commuting times, and classes to begin with. Then we should factor in the amount of work to be done, including deadlines and word counts. After this we can add other commitments like hobbies and finally social occasions. Soon we will have a clear picture of what is and is not negotiable in our lives. We may be surprised by how much time we actually have. Most of us are not even aware that we may procrastinate for several hours a day. Spending time worrying can eat up a lot of time without actually achieving anything. If we set aside time to work without distraction, we will be amazed at what we can achieve. Then we are free to celebrate!

Combine Socializing With Studying
If we are struggling to balance studying with socializing, then perhaps we could combine them! Many people genuinely struggle to work alone. They find it difficult to stay on task and may even find that they become anxious or lose perspective. Lots of people benefit from the structure of a study group. They are amongst individuals who are aiming for success in the same area and can support one another. They are socializing in the sense that they are interacting with others and not isolated. But it is within a constructive situation and is also contributing to their study goals. Select a study group carefully or even start your own. Be vigilant against study groups that are little more than bar sessions or coffee and cake! There is no harm in making studying enjoyable. But we should ensure that we are meeting our goals and achieving something at the end of every session. Study groups can give us added dimension to our studies also. Others may recommend a source that we haven’t thought of, for example. Or we may find while writing an essay that there are great online resources to buy or order essay materials. It can be difficult to find the best place to buy essays without guidance, but others can help. These can then be altered to form the basis of our own essay or just to provide inspiration. We should be sure to check all university rules to ensure we are within the guidelines of conduct. In a study group, we can explore our study options and share experiences.

Learn To Say “No”
Research has shown that we are not very good at saying “no”. Many people report that they are afraid to say “no” because they may miss opportunities or even hurt feelings. They worry that the opportunity will not come around again, that they will be discarded by friends, and more. While it can be positive to stay open to experiences, there are times when it is essential to say “no”. We have to have a high level of discipline and accountability when we are studying. We must learn to say “no” not only to certain social situations but also to ourselves. If we know we have worked to the best of our ability, we should tell ourselves to relax. It can be very tempting to return to work even when we are exhausted. But we should learn to tell ourselves “no” and protect our health and energy levels. If a social occasion comes up and we know from our planning and timetable that we do not have the time, we should be disciplined and say “no”. We can do so politely and graciously. We can be thankful for the invitation and offer an alternative time or day. But we must keep our goals in mind and say “no” if we feel it is necessary for our academic success. By learning to say “no” and protect our time, we ensure that when we say “yes” we can fully enjoy ourselves!

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