Working for the Weekend: A Guide to Balancing Social Life and Academics
Author: Orientation 2022
Posted on September 14, 2021
Hello! My name is Claire Kleinknecht, and I am a fourth-year Honours Biology student from Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia. I found in my first year one of the biggest things I struggled with was finding a work versus fun balance. I would procrastinate my work to go hang out with friends, save it for the last minute, and try to cram all day Sunday to get stuff in on time. I can tell you from personal experience, this was not the best strategy. Although I did make great memories, I have become smarter with how I spend my time and have realized a few tricks along the way to achieve the academic grades I want while still having fun.
- Go to class. No, this is not propaganda from professors. I am telling you from PERSONAL EXPERIENCE PLEASE GO TO CLASS! I had to learn the hard way that although going to class is not mandatory all the time, you will benefit so much. I always made the excuse “it’s boring” or “I am like half asleep anyways so I am not even learning anything” but you will be surprised what little things you can remember from just being there. It also is a designated time to take notes on that material and learn it gradually. Sitting down to review a month’s worth of PowerPoints is time consuming and an ineffective method for most students. Save yourself the hassle and just go to that 8:30 - I believe in you!!!
- Get as much work done during the week as possible. This may seem self-explanatory but getting into a routine of going to the Library or the Student Centre to study every day is super important. I found that going in the evenings for a couple hours worked great and I could still go back to my residence room and watch Netflix or read a book before bed. This helps to keep ahead of the wave of due dates from various classes and bank some free time to use later.
- Sleep!!!!!!!!!!! In first year, it is so exciting to have friends living in your hallways and no one telling you what to do, but a good night’s sleep is invaluable. I pushed it too far in my first year, staying up late watching movies or staying at late night until it closed, and had it catch up to me. I found my grades were not as good and I was getting sick a lot because my body was not well rested. You can’t focus if you do not get enough shut eye so try your best to maintain a healthy sleep schedule for your needs!
- Plan ahead. This sounds so simple and is corny advice, but I promise you that once you start planning for the big picture you will feel so much less stressed. Knowing what is coming up about three weeks in advance makes it easy for you to schedule study time, fun time, and relaxing time. You can see if you have a busy week coming up and may need to start things early or if you have an assignment due the weekend after an event you want to go to. It helps you be one step ahead and plan for guilt free fun!
Although these tips are pretty general, these are all things I wish I had taken more seriously in my first year. First year is about figuring out this balance so don’t be too hard on yourself if it doesn’t happen right away! Good luck and please if you take anything from this, GO TO CLASS!
Bye :P
- - Claire
Orientation 2022
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