Herts Balance Series: The University Balancing Act By Fred Jordan Bland
Luckily, I am somewhat decent at achieving this balance. As a member of 2 sports teams and a member of our formula 1 student AI team, I have had to learn to balance quickly. Whether that be taking a whole day to do nothing but relax and indulge in hobbies, skipping a training session because coursework has built up a little too much, I’ve learned you have to prioritize you.
If you burn the candle at both ends you will get burnt out pretty
quick. Socialising and building a circle to spend time or study together can
help. The likelihood of it is, if you are stuck with something, either a
classmate is in the same boat, or they can help you figure out a solution. Two
heads are better than one.
The pressure of this balancing act can get a bit too much. I
have often let the coursework pile up and often struggled to power through it.
Sleep is an important part of your physical and mental health.
The mind needs rest. It can be incredibly tempting to just patch the problem
with caffeine, but the best thing to do is to take a nap or just go to bed and
pick it back up tomorrow. If it is that bad, the university has many resources
to help. Whether that’s applying for an extension if you have a good reason, visiting
the wellbeing team to get some help with stress or even getting support from
the academic support team, you are not alone and you are not the first person
to encounter these issues.
In my opinion, there are many steps to learning to juggle uni
life.
Number one: plan and assign priorities to tasks not just
based off of deadlines, but on difficulty. I find it very easy to see a
difficult task and just say, nah I’ll leave it till the week its due. But, we
all know it’s probably best not to do that, as you’ll end up rushing, possibly making
small mistakes along the way and ultimately achieve a result you may not be
happy with. It’s always best to leave yourself more than enough time, as this
will then double as a contingency if you need to go back and make corrections.
Number two: set yourself some boundaries. If you are
overloaded need to think about your priorities. Whether that be delaying going
out for a day or saying no to plans for something more important. I know it’s
hard to say no and sometimes it can feel like missing out, but trust me, it’s
more important to protect your time and energy.
Number three: take breaks and make time for self-care. Now,
I’m not saying just walk out mid class and go for a spa day but, it’s important
to step back, get some fresh air and relax your brain. There are loads of ways
to do it like enjoying some time in nature, have a boardgame night with friends
or just chill and read a book.
Number four: get support when you need it. Whether that’s
phoning home, a friend, a helpline or using the resources we have available at uni,
there are always people there to help you. A little advice from me: life can be
unpredictable and sometimes, things don’t go to plan. And when that does
happen, it’s important to not beat yourself up. Balance will help keep you
flexible and able to adjust when times get tricky.
University is a massive safety net before you go out into
the world of adult life. It’s the best time to learn how to balance, make
mistakes and learn how to recover from them. The key to unlocking your best, is
to not be afraid to ask for help. I have watched many of my classmates crash
and burn due to them pushing to hard and stacking too much on their plate,
balance is key. Remember, the further you plan ahead, the more flexible you can
be and if you’re willing to put yourself first, you can go far and build a
solid foundation to live from.