Keep That Scheduled Balanced To Keep Those Classes Under Control

Selecting your college classes is one of the greatest academic freedoms you’ll have in college. Granted, some classes will be required for your major and others will be gen. ed. classes that you have to take. Still, there will be plenty of schedule planning to do throughout college. The only drawback is that, as a freshman, you’ll be on the bottom of the totem pole. That doesn’t mean, though, that there aren’t plenty of cool classes out there. So choose wisely!

Choosing classes wisely involves more than just picking a bunch of fun or easy classes! Variety is actually the most important aspect of a good class schedule. Even if you already know your major and you love your major, there’s no quicker way for that love to dissipate than to overload your schedule. If you’re a math major and that schedule of yours is five back-to-back math classes, at the end of the day, you might just love math a little less. At the end of a semester you might downright need to switch majors! So be warned. It’s great to love your major, but don’t overload your schedule with major-related classes, at least not at first, or you won’t experience the nice balance a varied schedule brings.

Since you’re bound to come across classes you don’t like, having a balanced class schedule means you should like at least some of your classes, hopefully. No, taking a semester full of classes isn’t exactly fun, yet if you have a good balance to your schedule, it won’t be too bad either. If you have a class that you find, well, boring, hopefully you have a couple other classes on the schedule that you find engaging. Similarly, if you have some tough classes on there, hopefully some others are easier. It’s all about the balance.

While this is more of a personal preference, balance in classes can also mean keeping in check the various times of your classes. Some students stock up all there classes so they don’t have any scheduled for Friday and even have another day of the week off. This, though, means that class days will be long and quite intense. If you aim for a more standard balance, you might find you do better on a more normal schedule. Then again, some students might take their classes all at once to provide them with more days off and free time. That too is part of the balance equation, and could work out for you as well.

At some point, you just won’t be able to sign up for the classes that you’d like, and balance can’t be attained. But do your best to keep the balance in check, as it will help bring some normalcy and standardization to the crazy chaos of college life!

Work And Fun: A College Balancing Act

College life is all about balance, and that holds true when it comes to balancing fun with schoolwork. College offers plenty of opportunities for fun and plenty of times when you’ll need to get work done too; fortunately you can achieve both, as long as you keep yourself in check.

You’re probably not worried about not having enough fun in college. Let’s be honest, that’s not difficult. In fact, it’s the opposite that can be hard. Friends will always be asking you to go to the movies, head out to a party, or go to the gym. None of those activities are bad per say, but you can’t exactly study while participating in them either. After a few movies, parties, and trips out to eat, before you know it your study time has all but dried up. For your GPA, this isn’t good.

No matter how focused you are in college, the instances and chances to pull you away from your study time will be numerous. So here’s the first solution, and it’s nothing secret: schedule some study time. If you’re a procrastinator or someone who rarely makes plans, now’s a good time to get into a positive habit. If you make a schedule, you’ll feel obligated to stick to it, simply because you made it. Even the most disheveled and disorganized studier will feel some guilt about blithely ignoring a schedule that he set.

Sometimes it takes a bit of a kick to recognize that you’ll have to focus more on schoolwork. If your GPA isn’t good, it’s never too late to help it resurface. It can be enough of a motivator to make you cut down on the fun and get serious about work. While you shouldn’t feel guilty while having fun, if you really need to be studying instead, it’s a task that you won’t want to ignore. Plus, when those grades come in, it’ll be hard not to feel guilty if you know you should’ve spent more time behind the textbook.

It’s all about balance. Have too much fun and you’ll regret it. But if you become a study zombie, you’re in for a long four years. Study as much as you need to to keep your grades up and learn some good material.  After that, have some fun. College will be the most work you’ve done in your life most likely, yet will also be a time to be social and have some good times before entering the working world. You don’t want to do too little of either, or you could regret it!

The Dorm-Life Blues

Once the newness of dorm life wears off after a few weeks, college life and dorm living becomes the norm. That’s not a bad thing by any means, however, it also means that all that excited, new energy can dissipate, leaving you feeling a bit drained. A few weeks or even months at school is enough time to meet and get to know plenty of new people, yet perhaps you haven’t made any good friends yet and you don’t feel as if you’ve found your niche. Don’t panic; there’s still plenty of time left. Even so, those dorm-life blues can set in, so know how to respond.

First of all, don’t feel alarmed if you find yourself feeling blue. There are so many new things you have to take in that the abrupt lifestyle change is enough to make anyone feel anxious. Don’t think you’re alone in feeling that way, either. It’s normal. College life is good at keeping you occupied so that those feelings don’t set in as deep. Schoolwork alone, while not a very fun alternative, can keep your mind on your grades, which isn’t a bad thing by any means. Still, keeping busy through other means will automatically improve your mood and outlook. If you haven’t yet, start getting involved in some extracurricular activities. Whether you’re at a large or small school, there’s a club out there for everyone.

By joining a club or becoming involved with an organization, you’ll not only stay occupied, you’ll meet more new people who have similar interests. This in turn makes making some good friends much easier. Once you’ve made a couple good friends, the social side of college life is a breeze. The nice thing about being involved and meeting new people is that you’ll find everyone’s open and receptive to hanging out. Other new students are in the same position as you; they want to meet new people, make friends, and combat those dorm-life blues.

There might never be a time in your life again when you have so many opportunities and activities in front of you. Many students who find themselves unhappy in college likely aren’t very involved, and therefore they don’t have as much to accomplish and find fulfilling throughout college life. But by staying busy and staying involved, you’ll find your time well-spent and enjoyable. Even if you don’t go out and join a few new clubs, college is also the perfect time to pick up a new hobby, which is another surefire way to quell those dorm-life blues.

It’s common advice to hear that it’ll get better if you’re experiencing dorm-life blues, but it still rings true. Even if you’ve been at school for a couple months, it takes longer than that to really let college life sink in and to find your routine and niche. Making good friends and lasting memories also takes time, so be patient and don’t try and back out too soon. It takes a little time, it takes a little effort, but dorm living and college life should be a great, memorable experience, and it will be if you want it to be.

College Life And All That Pressure: How To Deal

There’s no shortage of pressure throughout college life, and unfortunately the pressure only changes, it never quite goes away throughout those four years! When you start college, there’s the pressure of making new friends and figuring out your major. Later on, looking for internships and preparing for graduation can cause pressure, too.

But fear not. The big thing to remember is not to let that pressure get too overwhelming, and that’s actually not hard to do if you can keep things in perspective. Even if you end up making the wrong choices, whether about your major or what you did Friday night, there’s time to correct it. Fortunately, even if you’re a senior, you have to remember that you’re still young enough to correct any errors and proceed on the path that you choose. In the case of a wrong major, you can often tack on the true field that interests you as a minor and still make it out in four years. Or, look at how many people wind up doing jobs which they never thought they would based on their college majors—some doctors studied the humanities before getting into medicine! And as for those poor Friday-night choices, there’s always time to make better choices.

Throughout college, grades and keeping up that GPA will always cause pressure. That in itself is a good thing, because it shows that you care and that you’re willing to work hard. If you’re trying your best and doing your work and studying, chances are you’ll do fine or even better than fine. Still, the pressure lingers. Even if it’s a big test coming up, no one test will wreck your college career, so keep that in mind. No single poor grade is going to tank your GPA. Succeed when you can and where you can, and those grades will take care of themselves.

Conversely, if you’re not doing well in your field of study, you can consider studying something else. There’s still time! Think of it this way: throwing on a few extra classes or an extra year at college is better than getting stuck in a field that you don’t want to be in. Staying flexible, or at least acknowledging that you can be, can help to relieve pressure too; it’s when you can’t find an out that the pressure really feels like it’s building.

Amid grades, relationships, and trying to fit in healthy meals, there are enough causes of pressure. So keep in mind the big picture: you’re there to receive an education, and that right there is something to take a moment and recognize. Many students don’t have that opportunity, and even though it comes with added responsibilities and pressure, it’s better than not having the opportunity at all.