Sometimes college can be hard. Okay, maybe all the time. The piles of homework and hours of studying can leave you feeling like you will never find the light at the end of the long, dark tunnel. You begin to feel that school is the only thing that matters or will ever matter. So, it is important to take time for yourself and do the things that you really enjoy. No matter how big or small, these activities can help you overcome the struggle that every college student goes through, burnout.
Unfortunately, it can sometimes be difficult to engage in your favorite hobbies due to time, space and money. At home, when I am stressed or anxious, I like to paint. This is something I cannot do here at school because it takes up a lot of space and is a very messy activity for a dorm room. This led me to find different activities I am passionate about.
When you get done reading hours of passages your professors have assigned you for homework and reading your essay over and over again, it may seem like the last thing you want to do is sit down and read a book. I thought the same thing when I first started school, but now it is something I really look forward to doing each day. The act of picking out and voluntarily choosing to read can help make you feel like you have some form of control over your life. Being forced to read things that you do not want to from professors can cause some people to feel like they hate reading, but I feel like if they read something they wanted to read and were interested in, it would change their point of view.
Whether it were practices, games, or just playing with my brother after school, playing some sort of sport was something I did almost every day in high school that I took for granted after I graduated. When I first arrived at college freshman year, I was having a great time but felt like something important was missing from my life. I finally realized what it was when I joined the club basketball team. Joining a club or intramural team can help take your mind off all the stressful things you have going on. It can also help you make new friends with those who have similar interests and can help you stay in shape. If you have an interest in any sport, even if you have never played before, I highly recommend trying it out. If you are not sure if you want to join a sport you are always welcome to go to a couple of practices and decide from there or join an intramural team which takes a lot less commitment.
This is the perfect time of year to walk the many trails on St. Bonaventure University’s campus. Until winter, the campus is so pretty as the leaves change from green to red, yellow and orange. This activity can help you get better mentally as well as physically. It is also a good way to get outside and get all the important vitamins you need from the sun. This is an activity you can choose to do by yourself or with a group of friends.
Taking time to do the things that make you happy is crucial to your college experience. Make sure to find a healthy balance between schoolwork and other hobbies. Even with the stress of school and all the other things going on in your life you must remember that your mental health is the most important.