ARTICLE SUMMARY

This article goes into how to find a balance between your course-work and enjoying the college years. Finding an even balance between the two will make your college years some of the best years of your life.

Since college is about expanding your horizons, learning more about people and life in general, you really ought to get involved with some sort of activities beside academics. Not only will you enjoy the time away from your studies, you will expand your social network, do something useful with your time and, here’s the big one, de-stress!

Half the problem with the struggling bunch of students is that they don’t take the time to step away from their studies. As they fall behind, they naturally conclude that more time spent hunched over their books will prove fruitful. While such a conclusion seems logical, it defies the very nature of what your mind and body will allow. As it turns out, most of that time that goes towards over studying is simply wasted because the mind will only absorb so much information in any given amount of time.

Ask yourself: if you were in this boat, would you rather enjoy yourself and actually de-stress so that you can do better the next day, or would you rather choose to toil away over your books all evening/night, even if you knew that doing so would not get you any further than you know it should?

Regretfully, so many students do the latter of the two, if for no better reason than just to avoid the guilt they feel. It is a form of punishment inflicted on the self and you may be guilty of doing it to yourself. If you have done this, consider what will happen the following day when it is your normally scheduled time to work. How productive would you be if you were toiling away at your work the previous night? If you’re as human as the next guy (or, even the all-might A-students), then you would be burnt out. This is the point when despair kicks in, shortly followed by decreased attendance in classes, missed quizzes, etc. You get the idea.

The key to reduce stress in college

Your experience can be different and the key is to reduce stress in college. Make it a point to seek out balance and join something! Join various groups if you must or just allow yourself to be more social. It will pay off, guaranteed.

Ask yourself:

• Are you interested in business? If so, join the entrepreneur’s club.
• Are you a huge soccer fan? Join the soccer league.
• Like politics? Run for student office!
• Are you a social butterfly? Join a fraternity or sorority.

You get the idea…

As a side note, you should know that the relationships that you forge during your college years will go on to help you later on, in your career years. In business and careers, networking is very important and a great lead-in to networking later on in life is establishing a network that’s wide and deep when you are in college.

Allowing yourself to reduce stress in college through the use of extra curricular activities is a smart move. You may even discover a passion that you never even knew you had.

Go for it!