Finding a Balance in College

Coming into your freshman year at college can be a very exciting experience, but it can also be very overwhelming.  You are out on your own, you have new freedoms, but you also have new responsibilities.  As an engineering student you will hear the saying “sleep + social life = bad grades, social life + good grades = no sleep, and good grades + sleep = no social life.”  This does not have to be the case, though.  Balance at college is very important too much of one thing can result in a lack another.  To ensure that we can have all three parts of college it is very important to plan ahead.

Unlike high school, you don’t have teachers and parents to make sure that you get all your work done.  This is now solely your responsibility.  However, if you make a schedule and study all throughout the semester you can also have fun.  Scheduling out what you have to do every week, and writing done when everything is due is a big help to your success at college, but you can also schedule fun activities and naps.  Naps become a big part of most college students lives.  Naps ensure that even if you don’t get a full night sleep, you will not be overly tired during the day.  Power naps are amazing, they reenergize without taking away too much time to do work.  Scheduling also can help you plan when you want to do something fun.  If you know when you are doing something with your friends, like a dinner or a movie, you can plan to get all your work done before than.  Going out to have some fun also can help with studying, sometimes taking a break and giving your brain a rest is the best thing for you.  Having a schedule can make your college life a whole lot easier, but make sure you do not schedule everything last minute.

Procrastination is the easiest trap to fall into, but getting behind in a class will really hinder your progression through the class.  Waiting until last minute will cause you to loose sleep, and it will stop you from being able to have fun.  Procrastination will also cause stress, which is the last thing you need.  Stress will stop you from sleeping at night; it is a college student’s worst enemy.  Not doing your work when it is first given to you was ok in high school, but in college it will be your undoing.

College is a great experience, and it is even better with some balance.  Study hard, get some sleep, but also don’t forget to have fun.  These will be some of the greatest years of your life, so make sure you enjoy them!

Leatrice Spiewak is a junior in Mechanical Engineering and a Mentor for WEPO'13!  To read more about Lea visit her WEPO Profile: http://raindancer45.wix.com/ladyengineers#!leatrice-spiewak/c26s