Welcome to this month’s Ask Nelly, a column where I, Nelly the Narwhal, answer your questions about relationships, friendships, academics, career and more. Today, I talk about balancing academics with social life and the pros and cons of studying abroad. If any of this resonates with you, keep reading!
I’m a senior at Parsons, and while I want to end off the semester with proud work, I also want to make sure I spend time with my friends before my college years are officially over. I’m trying to balance the two, but I’m struggling to succeed in both areas at once. Any advice?
I, too, struggle to balance school with my friends. Scheduling out time for both is super important, so I would advise setting aside time outside of school to hang out with friends and time between classes for work. Definitely plan out things beforehand! You could plan to spend time with friends weekly. For example, every Sunday could be the time when you go out to the movies or shows with your friends. Having a set schedule or day dedicated to work or friends may help you balance the two and help you end off the semester strong. You could also make a daily schedule for yourself on your calendar to keep track of when you plan to spend time on work and when you plan to spend time with friends. This has helped me balance and manage my time better, so hopefully it helps you too!
I am trying to decide between studying abroad and graduating on time. I was a transfer student back in Fall 2020 and if I study abroad in Paris like I’ve always wanted, then I likely will have to extend my graduation one semester later than normal. Since the pandemic has ruined so many things, I am hoping to make a decision that gives me peace of mind and am wondering if I should give myself the opportunity of studying abroad or the opportunity to finish my college degree on time and graduate with my peers? I value both and am struggling to decide which is best for me at this point.
This is such a tough one! I think it’s the perfect case for a pro-con list. I’ll try to get it started for you!
Pros
You’ll meet new people, you’ll get a taste of the French language and culture if you haven’t already, and it will be an opportunity to learn a lot about yourself. If you’re looking for a change of pace, living in a new place means you’ll live a completely different lifestyle with different people and different habits: the perfect recipe for self-discovery and personal growth. Plus, since this would mean you’d graduate one semester later, it’s not like you’re losing time — you’re just postponing it for a very valuable cause.
Cons
Since the pandemic took away over a year of in-person classes in the city, you may find that you’re not ready to leave it just yet. If you think there is still plenty of room for fresh relationships to blossom, for example, putting them on pause for a semester may leave you with some FOMO. If you haven’t spent much time on campus at Parsons or in NYC in general, it could be worth staying in the city and discovering where it can take you. Choosing to not study abroad also means you’ll be able to graduate on time, so if you think you’ll be ready to embark on a career or a postgraduate study by then, finishing out your degree in New York might be a satisfying option. If you want, you could consider studying abroad over the summer instead to get the best of both worlds.
I hope this helps!