A Message to Overwhelmed Students: How to Balance School and Life

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To all overwhelmed students:

By now, after many years of formal education, you might be wondering how you’ve made it this far. Constant schoolwork mixed with the chaos of life often brings immense stress.

There’s the feeling of impending academic doom, a dark cloud of sorts, that makes you wonder if you’ll ever graduate. You want to succeed in school, but sometimes finding joy in life’s other areas inhibits you from being a good student.

So how can you balance school and life?

The first key to balancing school and life is to prioritize. Only focus on what needs to get done that day.

“It’s about organizing your priorities between what can be done today and what can be done tomorrow,” said Gabby McCoy, a freshman education and history major.

Effective time management can also help maintain a balance between school and social life.

“I think the secret has something to do with learning how to manage your time effectively and then learning when to let go of your schedule and plans so that you can fully experience the moment,” said Lester Andrist, a sociology professor at the University of Maryland.

Sometimes, it’s about simply letting go of the things you don’t have enough time for. Deborah Acheampong, a sophomore bioengineering major, once struggled to find a balance between her difficult course load and extracurriculars.

“I realized some of the stuff I did freshman year I just can’t do anymore. Some things I had to let go of,” Acheampong said.

Stress is often the result of an imbalance between school and life. With constant pressure on your back, stress hits you from every corner of life. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re a failure because you can’t do everything the “perfect” college student can.

Meditation is a great way to reduce stress and find balance by improving concentration. Sit or lie down with your eyes closed for 10 minutes. Breathe deeply and become aware of each breath you take. Think about the worries on your mind and the power you have to deal with them. Headspace is a super helpful app for guided meditations.

Adopting a mantra can also lead to better school and life balance. Personally, I live by the words of motivational speaker Denis Waitley: “There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.”

And as I always tell myself, “You can and you will.” College is nothing short of difficult. But luckily, there are many ways to find a balance between your academics and life.