“Study now; play later.”
This is a motto often adopted during high school, but it holds true through college.
The most common complaint heard on campus sounds something like, “I’m behind on my homework, but this weekend’s going to be fun though!”
On the opposite end of the spectrum are those who say, “I would go have fun, but I have too much work to do.”
The key to balancing everything isn’t being trained in circus arts, but knowing what your priorities are. And yes, having a social life is a priority. Don’t believe us? Look at Maslow’s, a social psychologist, Hierarchy of Needs, which states that after basic necessities like food and a place to live, a social life is required for humans to live and thrive.
There’s actually a simple equation that can be used to manage school work time.
For every hour you study in class, you study about one to two hours out of class. If you’re taking a fifteen hour class load, that equals between 15-30 hours of out-of-class study hours.
While this may seem like an inconceivable amount of work, it’s actually not bad. It can be broken down to an extra three to six hours outside of class each day, assuming you’re not working on the weekend.
According to the CDC, the average adult needs seven to eight hours of sleep, which means we have sixteen hours to work with that we’re not walking around like zombies.
Assuming you have a five hours of class a day, plus threehours of studying, you still have eight hours left to do whatever you heart desires, plus have the weekends virtually free!
The only way to make sure this actually works, is to have good study strategies. Here are a few we reccommend:
STUDY IN GROUPS: According to Stanford University, studying in groups helps students learn and retain knowledge faster.
USE THE CORNELL NOTE TAKING METHOD According to Stanford University, using this method makes taking notes, and reviewing material go by in a breeze.
USE FLASHCARDS Ann Algier, a researcher at Dartmouth, says that using note cards is a faster, easier way to study for tests, especially when they are spoken out loud.
SWITCH IT UP The New York Times reports that one way to ensure the material sticks in your head is to study in different locations. Take some time in the library, your hall’s lounge, outside, and at dinner to make everything stick.
Hopefully, next time someone invites you to the big game, or to go swimming, you won’t have to turn them down because you’re too loaded with work. All it takes is a little time management.