Balancing school, social life, work, extracurriculars, and/or whatever you are involved in is a challenge. To me, balancing the different aspects of your life is the most necessary skill an individual should have aside from learning how to learn.
As a high school student, I was an A student in honors and AP classes while I was also heavily involved in extracurriculars like figure skating, dance, music, volunteering — the list goes on and on. Coming to college, not much changed. As a college student, I have two jobs, write for the Stute, have the responsibilities of a Peer Leader or Resident Assistant (depending on the school year), be an active member of the Phi Sigma Sigma Sorority, keep up with my fitness routine, find time to hang out with friends, all while taking 18-20 credits/semester. Let it be known, college life is busy and oftentimes you have to make sacrifices.
I remember my freshman year, I came into college expecting to get straight As, join a bunch of clubs, possibly run for SGA and work as a figure skating coach. I overestimated how much time I had, and definitely felt overwhelmed. First semester I spent an exorbitant amount of time watching Youtube videos on parametric curves and wondering why Gradarius would tell me my answer was wrong when it was, in fact, correct. I didn’t have a social life and was miserable. I had no idea how to balance my new lifestyle.
Second half of freshman year was better, I better understood how to manage my studies, received help when I needed and set time aside to decompress—whether that’s grabbing coffee with a friend or going for a run. I was still frustrated and overwhelmed because I felt like I was always missing out on something, but that is life.
That was three years ago, freshman me had no idea what she was getting herself into. As a senior, I know what works and what doesn’t in regard to where I put my time. However, life is not linear, and you will have to face whatever life throws at you. That being said, there is no “perfect work-life” balance. There will be times where you can afford to slack off a bit and take a trip to the city. There will also be times where you have to forgo that frat party you really want to attend because you have a midterm the following day. Ultimately, balance is about making decisions and only you can decide what is in your best.
While the pandemic shifted our lives upside down, and life seemed bleak and uncertain, I took it as an opportunity to reflect. If I learned anything from my time at home during the pandemic, it’s that you must be adaptable and understand yourself. In my eyes, you cannot achieve greatness without feeling your best both mentally and physically. I am an extremely routine person and thrive off structure. During the beginning of the pandemic, I was frustrated and anxious because my homeostasis transformed into chaos. For months I felt that way, but then I realized I was wasting my time and stopped self-loathing.
I spent time thinking about what I most enjoy — those things include hiking, exercising, reading, baking, and spending time with friends and family. Now that I clearly identified what brings me joy, I incorporated that into my daily life. I began to feel like my life was going back on track and I was more motivated to go to class and learn new things. Because I no longer focused on the negatives, I had more time to focus on what mattered.
The core of finding balance is understanding your goals, happiness, and necessities. Doing well in your courses can be a constant goal/necessity, something you put 60% of your time in. On the other hand, you may spend 5% of your time trying new coffee shops throughout the semester because it turns a mediocre day into a good day. Taking an intrinsic look at yourself is important for self-growth. In college, it is easy to get lost in the crowd and go along with whatever is put in front of you. Don’t let others blur your goals and values.
Every month, week, and day will be different. Allow yourself to be malleable, and write down what is important to you so you can balance your academia and social life. It is a process that does not happen overnight. While that can be frustrating, the benefits significantly outweigh the time it takes.
Hopefully, I was able to shed some light on why work-life balance is important and some part of this article struck a chord with you. Until, next time.
Senioritis is an Opinion column written by one or two Stevens student(s) in their last year of study to discuss life experiences during their final year at Stevens, and other related subject matter.
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