Work Hard, Play Harder: Tips on How to Balance Your Social Life and Academics

“When you get to university, you’ll no longer have a social life” and “you need to stay focused and avoid distractions” were two of the most common phrases I heard from many students/adults before embarking on my university journey. I was consumed by the thought of becoming a successful student, and for me this meant complete focus and no fooling around. Everyone always believes that balancing social life and academics is extremely difficult. I used to think that way too, until some of my academic excellence depended on my social skills and social network.

I ended up entering first year with a mentality to isolate myself, to work hard and stay focused. I thought that being in a prestigious institution required maximum focus and little to no fun whatsoever. I was used to seeing all these quotes about working hard and playing later and it made me believe that to be a successful person, you must be devoted to your academics and place all your efforts into just school. I was completely wrong. Too much of something is bad. The more I placed my academics at the center of everything, cancelled plans and missed phone calls, was the more lonely and stressed I felt. Still, I found myself getting poor grades and lacking a social circle; a support system.

I was so tired of this unhealthy feeling, so I decided to join my first club, The Black Student’s Association. I met so many people that were taking the same courses as me. I no longer felt alone in the struggle for academic success. I was able to recognize a shift in my grades; they were getting better. I was able to build tangible relationships and interpersonal skills that opened doors for professional opportunities.

Although I had a huge community behind me at school, I still struggled to stay on top of my task at times. So, I invested in a calendar and book planner. Initially I bought them for room decor and because they looked cute (I know, I know, use it for its purpose). I started planning out my entire month on my calendar so that I was able to visualize my deadlines and see how much extra time I have to take on other activities such as: school events, work, and of course binge-watching Netflix series.

Once I was done with my calendar, I started planning out my weeks in detail, in my planner. This included any meetings, events, study sessions and more. To be even more specific sometimes for each day, I would write myself a to-do list of all the task I want to complete within the day. Once I finished each task, I would highlight or draw a check mark beside it. It felt so rewarding to look back and see all that I was able to accomplish in one day.

Most importantly I began taking my mental health way more seriously. I have realized that when my mental health is at a zero, everything I do or put effort into, will result in a 0 (figuratively speaking). I made the decision in my second year to never allow myself to be burnt out again. This meant not taking on more than I can handle and knowing my limits. In the past I was convinced that the more stress I was undergoing meant that I was putting in a great amount of work, and that the busier I was, meant I was on the path to greatness.

Work hard and play even harder.

A woman named Celina once told me this and I instantly fell in love with that saying because it reminds us to be human. It reminds us to enjoy the stages of life and embrace the struggles we come across. It reminds me to laugh, have fun, go out, build bonds and most importantly take care of our mental health.