College students always seem to be running around like chickens with their heads cut off, constantly trying to catch up to their responsibilities. We never really seem to catch a break with everything we have to do between school, a social life, and a job. Most people can only successfully handle two at a time. How do you decide which two to deal with?
1. School and Social Life
The ideal choice in this situation would be school and a social life. We all obviously want to do well in school so we can get a degree and start our lives. This is how we manage to "tolerate" paying so much to come here. School can take up quite a bit of time between all of our professors assigning tests, papers, projects and everything else. Multiply this by 5 or 6 classes and have it all due at the same time, this can get pretty time consuming and downright stressful. To deal with this stress, what do we want to do? Hang out with our friends and have some fun. There is nothing better at the end of a long and stressful week, or even day, than getting together with your college family and having a night full of laughter and fun. Failed that test? That's okay, just go spend a few hours with your friends to get your mind off of it. Works like a charm, and then you'll be refreshed and ready to begin a new week.
2. School and Work
Unfortunately for some students, school is not the only responsibility they have. Whether their parents require it or they just want an income so they have money for whatever they may need, they also have a job during the semester. Working almost every single night after going to class, all the while still having to find time to complete assignments, can become extremely stressful. Since they barely have time to do more than one or the other, they really don't have much time for a social life. All work and no play may seem to be productive to some people, but others may find the stress so overwhelming that it eats them alive and effects their moods severely.
3. Work and social life
Some students maintain a job and a social life pretty well, but they slack off on their grades. They'll go to work and then come home and hang out with their friends all the time. This can be the cause of the stress of juggling school on top of a job getting to be too much for them. They feel they can't give up their jobs since they need money, and they need a stress relief so they choose friends, and they just completely neglect their school work.
Obviously all of these options have their pros and cons. Some people can balance all three, but most people have to choose. It can become stressful to choose, especially if they become forced into circumstances that require them to have to give up their social lives which are extremely essential to help combat stress.
Through experience, I am still trying to deal with being stuck in the second option and having very little social interaction time. I am one to believe that while we are in college, we should be focusing on our studies and building on our social lives while we still have time to make these connections and memories. Working like a dog should be reserved for after we graduate.
However, if you are forced to not be able to get out of working most of the semester away, at least try to pick a day every so often when you have off to spend time with your college friends. Time with college friends is priceless, but when you only see them every so often, it makes the times that you can even more memorable and special. I've always loved my friends more than anything, but getting to see them so little definitely helped me appreciate the times I do get to spend with them even more.
No matter what you choose, or are forced into, just try to make the best of it. College flies by in a flash and no matter how stressful it is, it'll all be over before you know it. Never lose track of your ultimate goal. You'll be in a field you love before you know it, so it'll all be worth it in the end. Work hard, but don't forget to have fun any time you possibly can.
