College is by far one of the most interesting yet stressful 4 years of a person’s life. Amidst all the assignments, submissions, and finals that a student goes through in college, all that we yearn for is getting the ultimate college experience that is not only academically challenging but also memorable. I moved to California in September 2017 to begin my undergraduate studies at Santa Clara University. I had always wanted to major in Computer Engineering and was always the kid who’d tweak around with machines. Choosing a major, for me, was a no-brainer. The ultimate challenge that I faced was choosing a minor and then managing my schedule to have a proper balance in life. 

Minors are a wonderful way to learn more than just the topics covered in a major. A minor enhances a student’s ability to be versatile and open to new opportunities and study areas. Be it writing a research paper, interacting with a new professor, or working on group projects, a minor just makes learning more fun. One thing that comes as a baggage when a student chooses to minor is the amount of time consumed doing academic work. I, as an engineering student, find it very difficult to find time to do a lot of social activities due to the strenuous course load. However, on choosing to minor, I came across a much tighter routine where a lot of time had to be devoted to studying the new subjects. 

How to manage college life with so many things going around? I feel the best place to start is prioritizing. Charles de Gaulle once said, “Genius is knowing when to stop.” This quote encompasses the entire college life. We must realize that studying 24 hours doesn’t make us any better. It, instead, induces an unhealthy lifestyle. By mapping out our priorities, we can distribute them all over the week so that there is time to socialize too. Making a list of submissions and finishing them well in advance leaves a lot of room for revising topics and having some fun. 

Joining clubs and attending various meetings and conferences is a great way to socialize here at SCU. Our college weekly and monthly emails are the best sources to find out all about the events happening at SCU. The conferences academically and socially benefit students. Having some lone time for introspection is also a nice way to calm the mind especially when there is so much to study. Life sure does get a bit stressful, but a warm cup of hot chocolate from the Mission Bakery in Benson surely eases off all pain. Another nice way to rejuvenate is by hitting the gym or joining a club sport. Club sports energize the body and help calm the body too. Attending a game in the Levi Stadium once in a while is also a good way to help get a diversion from the stress. 

At the end of the day, we must remember that we are here in college to study and advance our careers. So, the three most important tips to handle a minor or a double major is that 

1.    Take classes seriously.

2.    Work meticulously and map out a plan.

3.    Decide on the double major or minor early to avoid delay in planning.

Setting weekly and monthly targets help flow through the quarter systems easily. Bullet journals or planners are a great way to organize schedules and priorities in college. Keeping equal amounts of study and socializing helps strike a balance in college. There are various ways by which we can sail through this ocean and here at SCU, there are so many activities and organizations that are vibrant and here to help us learn more and meet new people.