Dear Those Struggling to Find Balance,
You are not alone. For the average college student, a life with the perfect balance of school, a social life, and sleep can feel nearly impossible to find. With all that college has to offer, it can be extremely difficult to make time for everything, especially if you want to take advantage of all the opportunities that exist on a day-to-day basis.
As I write this, I truly speak from personal experience. Only a little over two months into my first semester of college, I am currently, as expected, feeling the pressure of all the new changes, expectations, opportunities, and obligations that exist in a typical college student’s life. While I am in no position to give advice as I struggle myself, I felt as though this letter could serve as a way to allow me to get my thoughts out there, but also to serve as something relatable to fellow classmates who are feeling this pressure I’m talking about.
Time flies when you’re having fun. A cliché for sure, but most definitely the truth. I know that I myself have experienced this many times in my college career so far, and that it has been both a positive and negative thing. On the plus side, obviously, is the “fun” bit. Getting involved in campus sports, clubs, and organizations, attending football games and other sporting events, and spending time with friends are just a few among the many social activities that can make your time in college some of the best years in your life.
At the same time, however, it can be hard to say no to every social activity that’s out there. I’ve often noticed that I always want to say yes, but there are times when I must say no because there are physically not enough hours in a day for me to have as active of a social life as I’d like, while still having time for schoolwork and sleep. At the end of the day, I know that I am attending a university with the purpose of earning a degree, which means when it’s time to work, it’s time to work. It’s important to have this knowledge, but at the same time not to “let school get in the way of college.”
At the most basic level, the mentality “work hard, play hard,” is much easier said than done. I’ve noticed it can be very easy to lose track of maintaining mental and physical health in the constant busyness of everyday life. It’s obviously important to get enough sleep, take care of your body, exercise, and eat right, but it can definitely be challenging to find the time to consider all these things as a part of a balanced life. All I know is that taking care of yourself is just as important as having a social life and keeping up with school work, which is further proof of how difficult it is to find that balance and keep it.
Overall, with this constant struggle of time management and balance in life, I have learned that there are many ways in which I can seek out a solution. One way starts with self-reflection. It’s one thing to go through life checking things off a to-do list and taking things day by day, and it’s completely another thing to discover your purpose, your passions, and what motivates you. I know I need to look within myself and find this true purpose, and I would encourage all who can relate to my struggle to do the same.
Additionally, there are quite a few resources out there that can help with developing time management skills, such as articles with studying tips, life advice, and more. I know I would do well to educate myself and learn from all those who have come before me, in order to really find that formula for success and happiness that everyone looks for. Consequently, there is no simple solution to finding complete balance, but I can say one thing or sure—you got this. There is hope and there are ways to get closer to living the life of a successful college student, all you have to do is take a deep breath, start to search and work towards what’s important to you, and figure out what way of life, and what exact balance, works best for you as an individual.