How To Juggle Time As A College Student
Posted by miscupids | Posted in Blog | Posted on 01-03-2010
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Juggling academia and leisure time has been a combination struggled with by everybody at one time or another. The key to the success of both is to remember to pay equal attention to your studies as well as maintaining a healthy and active social life. Without sacrificing personal pleasures or academic success, it is imperative that you figure out a way to keep on top of both activities.
Learning the curves in college does take a little bit of time, but you can consult with your professors and seminar leaders to find out exactly what the course expectations are, and then you can better determine your direction. In college, the social life is rampant. There are a plethora of activities to choose from, and they are all important, especially if you are trying to make new friends and fit in as best as possible.
Once you have determined a schedule of what is due and when, then you can more accurately allow for spontaneity and a vibrant social life. A calendar of events and homework dates is optimal. Always be certain to leave free time either to decompress, or to go with the flow is something fun arises. School should never interfere with your education, and there are many opportunities to learn outside of the classroom, while you out being social.
The life of the average college students consists of entirely too much homework, too much newly gained freedom, too much procrastination, vastly too much of a vibrant social life, and yet, somehow, not enough time seemingly to encompass all things. This is the bane of the college student. Trying to do well in college, and still striving to maintain a vibrant social life is not an easy mixture to concoct.
The biggest key to achieving success both in academia terms, and in the social scene, requires a mastery of time management skills. A college student must juggle lectures, seminars, labs, tutorials, work, pub crawls, late night forays to the local sub shop or pizzeria, and, of course, dating. Balancing all things so that the college experience is a surreal memory takes patience, energy, and a plan.
Budgeting time wisely does not come easy to anybody, let alone a college student that is desperately trying to combine anything and everything into a short amount of time. When creating a schedule for classes, a wise student will make certain to clump together courses so as to not waste time idling in the hallways between classes, wasting more precious time than one is generally allotted.
By keeping all of your classes together, not only do you save a lot of time in the long run, you will also save time on transportation costs, and you will give yourself more motivation to attend class rather than skip. Keeping the social life alive and vibrant also requires that you schedule your classes at forgiving times, so that you can transform into a nocturnal creature more readily.
The social aspect of college life is one of the biggest learning experiences, as students are forced to learn how to budget time and money, and friendships. A college student cannot possibly make room for all things to be treated fairly, so some things tend to fall by the wayside. This should never be class or friendship.
At the beginning of each week, an effective and proactive student will make a calendar of commitments. Make it clearly visible in a highly traveled area of the house, or dorm room, and include all classes, assignments and their due dates, a block of time devoted to study and homework, and a list of all activities and social soirees that are of interest.
Make up a timetable that accurately reflects the desire to do well in your studies, without sacrificing the fun and excitement of going to the pub night, or catching a concert at a local tavern. It is important to include a vibrant social life with your academics, because there are many great teaching experiences awaiting right outside of the classroom doors. School should provide a certain amount of knowledge, but there are infinitely more things to learn through social interaction.
A suggestion for a college student intent of keeping the vibrant social life fires stoked, and who is cognizant of their academic pursuits would be to make it a general rule that after a big night out painting the town red, that you do some schoolwork right before you go out, and then buckle down the next morning and do some schoolwork again. Make it a commitment that you do not sleep in until the crack of noon, rather you get up early and tackle some of those pesky assignments whose due dates draw nigh.
During the college years, a student should never let any opportunities for fun and excitement pass, because these days come along but once. There will be no second chances, so be certain to stave off regret later in life, and take the time out of your busy schedule to drop in on the pub and engage in some lively banter while quaffing down a cold ale. Just remember to get all assignments done, and handed in on time.


