Drinking and Thinking: How to Manage Going Out and Working Hard ⋆ College Magazine

By Beya Likhari > Freshman > UMBC

College, as we all know, is a transition that brings us one step closer to the real world. It is here where we are given opportunities that lead us to our future, but also give us the opportunity to have some freedom and fun. But how do we find a balance between this newfound independence (read: college parties) and schoolwork?

First and foremost, it is important to figure out your priorities. When you get more involved on campus, you become a more well-rounded student, but it’s important to still enjoy your college life. To do this, time management is key, because your parents are no longer telling you to do your laundry, to get your homework done or to go to sleep early in order to manage everything; You are your own motivation. Dexter Ferguson, a student at Northeastern University says, “You do need a balance between school and parties because too much of anything is bad.”

So what do you do when you have a huge biology test on Monday, but your friend’s fraternity is throwing a party for her on Saturday night for her 21^st birthday? “I think that you have to learn how to be decisive and say no,” says Ferguson. “Sometimes there might be multiple parties going on and everybody might want you to come through but if you decided from the beginning, that this weekend is a working weekend, it makes it easier to stay focused.” If you don’t have the willpower to say no to the birthday party, then go and have some fun, but don’t forget that you shouldn’t drink too much because a hangover the following day is not conducive to studying. Nikhil Bector, a student at Georgia Tech says, “Don’t think that you’ll have one beer and then finish your work.” For those of you who live in fraternity houses, Nikhil also suggests that you “shouldn’t study in the frat house if you are easily distracted…go to the library.”

Another way to prioritize is to join a study group. Make some friends in each of your classes, to help motivate yourself and others in your group to get work done.

How do you manage your time between going out and getting your work done?

photo from http://www.popsci.com/files/imagecache/article_image_large/articles/girl.jpg