How to Balance your Studies with College Activities

As a student, you will meet two types of people in college. A student who studies hard with no time to join clubs and another who joins clubs, studies and even attends parties. What is the difference between both? It is simple, one can balance his social life with college life, and one can’t, and you should aim to be the latter. Here are 5 tips you should follow if you wish to balance your studies with extracurricular activities. 

1.Manage Your Time

Check your university and list the clubs that interest you the most in a properly planned schedule. Time is the most crucial thing if you want to balance your studies and social activities. Think of the first month as your trial month and give yourself a chance to try as many clubs as possible. Then, go through your list and choose only the clubs you really wish to stay in for 3-4 years. It is better to choose only 2 clubs to allow yourself enough time to study. Remember your studies are your priority in college. 

2. Enjoy Your Free Time.

Extracurricular activities are perfect for personal development and social life, but they shouldn’t control your personal life. Keep your friends outside university in mind and set some free time to meet with them and explore the city you live in. Research proves that people who don’t manage their time are more prone to mental health issues and burnout. Free time is not a privilege; it’s for your own good. 

3. Know Your Strengths

Are you a morning person or a night owl? Recognise your strengths and organise your study sessions according to them. Think about your learning style as well! For example, are you an auditory learner, a visual learner or maybe a kinesthetic learner? Use the correct method to learn, and you will save a lot of time.

4. Set Realistic Goals 

One of the many mistakes students fall into is setting unrealistic goals for their activities and study sessions. Before you start studying, set a list of tasks that you need to finish for the day. Keep that list short and concise. Don’t assume you will complete a hundred pages per day. If you set 2 hours for your studies on Thursday morning, then set 20 pages as a limit for the day and so on. Do the same with your club activities to ensure your development is consistent in both aspects.  

5. Use Technology 

You don’t have to use a paper planner to set your priorities, mobile apps can help you, and they are more efficient. So unless you like the analogue way, use planning apps like Trello to organise your days and mark done tasks. You can find a list of other apps that you can use in our “Must-Have Student Apps” blog.  

Finally,  enjoy your college life. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it’s a huge step towards your future goals. College is about learning life skills, not just study skills. Experie