Have you ever heard the joke that you have friends, family, good grades, and good health, but you can only choose 2?
College can be super overwhelming. As a freshman, I wanted to get involved in all of the clubs I was interested in, hang out with my friends all the time, excel in all of my classes, and keep up a healthy lifestyle all at the same time. Many will say you just have to find that perfect “school life balance”, but what does this balance look like?
Let’s challenge the idea of a “school life balance”
Can there be a balance between school and our life when school is a huge part of our lives? Isn’t that like saying you have to find a balance between eating breakfast and eating three meals a day? Or that you have to find a balance between hanging out with your sister and your family?
Going back to your dorm room to relax and eat popcorn with your friends is just as much a part of your life as the hours you spent at the library studying for physics earlier that day. Going to your THON Committee meeting every week is just as much a part of your life as your 8am CHEM class every Friday morning.
Here are some tips to figure out how to have all 4 – friends, family, good grades, and good health – that have helped me during the first half of my Penn State experience as a woman in engineering.
- Watch this TED Talk. This TED Talk can help you think about stress in a more positive way. You will likely be stressed by your classes, your friends, your family, or about balancing all of these together. The message of this TED Talk has stuck with me and has helped me use stress to my advantage.
Friends can help you. Studying with your friends can give you a great support system and allow you to have fun while getting your school grind on. Just make sure these friends value getting their work done as much as you do. Planning to work out with your friends provides a sense of commitment and makes going to the gym much more fun.
- Call your parents. Call them when you’re walking to class or when you’re eating lunch. It can be tough being away from home, even if you don’t feel homesick. Calling them reminds you of your support system at home and keeps them connected in your new life at Penn State.
- Going to the gym is not the only way to be healthy. Being intentional about what you put into your body is a great way to feel good about yourself. Try doing a short workout in between classes to get that adrenaline pumping. Or dedicate Friday nights to creamery ice cream if that encourages you to have healthier options Saturday-Thursday. Or take the stairs to your dorm room on the 9th floor instead of the elevator.
- Sleep! Sometimes, you’ll feel like you have to choose between hanging out with your friends, studying for an exam, or getting sleep. Find out how much sleep you need to be your true, productive self (I need 8 hrs) and stick to that number as much as you can. Losing sleep can build up over time and sleep schedules are difficult to change. I like to give myself a cut-off time for studying. After 10pm, I don’t open my laptop.
- Question yourself. I challenge myself to do this once a week – ask yourself why you are doing the things you are. Why am I participating in this club? Why am I going to lunch in the HUB? Why am I studying with these people? Why am I struggling in this class? These questions help you to reflect on what you’re doing and help you make sure you are balancing friends, family, good grades, and good health.
Finding that perfect school life balance is pretty much impossible when you live, eat, and breathe school. Thankfully for you, you’re going to Penn State, where people live, love, and bleed blue and white, where doing it all is celebrated and excelling in what you love to do is encouraged. Finding how to have all 4 – friends, family, good grades, and good health – will be a great challenge in your college career, but it will help you find your passions and be happy with your college experience.
Good luck and cherish these Penn State years!
Kaitlyn Pigeon
Team G Mentor
No comments:
Post a Comment