• 3-minute read
• 21st November 2016

5 Ways to Balance Your Life and Your Studies

Each day comprises twenty-four hours. That’s 1,440 minutes – or 86,400 seconds – in which to cram everything you need to get done (even less if you waste your time calculating the number of seconds in a day). That doesn’t always seem a lot when you’re busy at university.

But it’s important to balance your life and your studies carefully if you want to make the most of your time as a student. As such, we have a few tips to help.

1. Set Realistic Study Goals

If you’re a go-getting type, you might think that being a good student involves spending as much time as humanly possible studying. But most universities expect you to treat studying like a full-time job, which means roughly 30-35 hours of study time a week, including lectures and seminars.

You can dedicate more time than this to your university work, of course, especially if you’re passionate about your subject. But you should also be realistic about your goals, remembering that there’s more to life than just your studies.

2. Get Organised

To balance your life and your studies effectively, you need to use your time efficiently.

For example, you can use the calendar app on your phone to plan your week/month/year in advance, making notes of important deadlines and setting aside time for any tasks you know you have to get finished. Avoiding procrastination is also important here!

3. Going Extracurricular (Within Reason)

While your studies are important, taking advantage of other opportunities that come your way at university is also crucial. Things like clubs, volunteering, sports teams and societies will give you chances to experience things that you might never do otherwise.

Don’t get carried away, though! It’s always tempting to sign up to as many extracurricular activities as you can, especially early on, but this can lead to burnout if you’re not careful.

4. Find Time for Friends and Family

Having an active social life is also a big part of the university experience for most people. You can, of course, combine work and socialising by setting up a study group. But you should also make time to relax with friends whenever possible.

Oh, and don’t forget your family. When was the last time you gave your poor old mum a call?

5. Eat, Sleep and Exercise

Finally, all of the above very much depend on taking care of yourself. Eating well, exercising regularly and getting enough sleep will help make sure you have the energy to pack as much into your days as possible without leaving you physically and emotionally drained. Get this right and you’ll find achieving a healthy work-life balance will be much easier!