Balancing work and a social life?!
Although you attend university with the aim of getting a degree, university life is also an experience in itself. So how do you balance your work with the other things you want to do?
If you’ve read my other blogs, you’ll have seen the various things I’ve been involved in this year (my final year), and it’s a decent amount. So, here are some ways I try (and sometimes fail, it’s not always that simple) to balance my various assignments and assessments, and my social commitments:
- Don’t neglect your physical activity/sport – See this as a way to unwind and take your mind off work. For me, this means Monday and Tuesday evening netball training, and matches on Wednesdays, as well as gym sessions in the morning throughout the week.
- Take a break if you need one – No one can tell you how long it should take for you to feel mentally rested, everyone is different. Try and take some time off from doing work and recharge, working on burnout may not always be efficient, and may be counterproductive even when you think it’ll be beneficial.
- Enjoy yourself! – Although the morning after a night out will not always be the most productive… don’t let that stop you from enjoying yourself with your friends, whether that be on a Wednesday night or any other day of the week. Making memories with friends is just as important as work, and it’s good to have things to look forward to!
- Work with friends – Sometimes it helps me to work in the library with friends, because we’re all working so I feel motivated! If you’re on one of the quiet floors, you can’t be distracted by noise and you can plan to take breaks together.
- Sometimes you have to sacrifice – Whether that’s a social event or a seminar, sometimes you have to weigh up your options. There have been times where I’ve chosen to miss a seminar in order to catch up on work I’ve been struggling with, other times I’ve decided to not go out with the rest of my friends because I know I’ll need to be productive the next day, but don’t only stick to one of these sides.
Overall, I’m not saying it’s easy to balance your work and social life, but having a social life is a very important thing at university and shouldn’t be neglected. If you don’t give yourself a break from work, it can lead to burnout or general unhappiness (which isn’t part of the fun uni life!). Give yourself things to look forward to, it’s not a skill you’ll have right form the get-go, but it’s something you learn through trial and error throughout your university career. We’re all in the same boat 🙂
