TheNerdConstant said:
I have been struggling to balance my study social life for a while now, when i study for instance i often overdo it doing like 5 hours after school this really accelerates my learning but leaves me feeling slightly depressed, stressed and overworked. However the opposite occurs when i try to focus on my social health i feel healthier and happier but there is a lot of ambition i don't fill so I start to get upset and angry at myself. This is very paradoxical i understand but it still keeps happening is there any recommendations i could use to achieve a better balance??
Have you considered that you maybe don't like your major? That's the first thing I would want to reflect on since I was in a similar situation when I first came to college (wanted to be an arts major..ended up in engineering, ha). If you want to do it but at the same time don't feel any drive, it might be that you're just not happy with it. I don't mean that that's a sure thing since everyone has motivation trouble sometimes, but it's something I'd at least recommend considering.
Learning to balance is really just something you have to learn to do...you can't have it all. Some of the basic "work/life balance" tips you'll always hear:
-Do your homework early like on Friday afternoon so your weekends are free and you don't need to feel guilty about going out and having fun. You'll have to work in one of those long stretches you dislike, but you'll feel better about yourself during the weekend. Doing your work in a structured and deliberate way is better for you than just sitting down and grinding wherever necessary. You'll avoid the feeling that you're not on top of your work, and you'll also do better. Research on orchestral musicians has found that quality of practice matters more than raw duration, similar concepts apply to learning other material. An hour or two of deliberate, structured, and thoughtful studying will take you much further than 5 or 6 hours of mindlessly doing problem drills.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images...f/DeliberatePractice(PsychologicalReview).pdf (I think this is it).
-Be careful with alcohol and stay the hell away from other drugs. Drinking messes with your sleep even if you're not getting black-out wasted and it also makes you gain weight, and even "soft" drugs like weed will get you mixed with some bad influences if your college is anything like mine. Plus it's illegal and a criminal record will not help you at all. Speaking of:
-You are who you associate with, and not all people have your best interests at heart. Students who do well in school and have constructive behaviors will make you feel pressure (in a good way, of course) to do well. Students with less productive habits will also influence your behavior. So put yourself in a position to have those more positive influences. I would recommend joining a school club or a good fraternity with strong academic standards (obviously the stereotypes aren't entirely without merit so be careful).
WWGD said:
I know this may sound far-out , but it also helps if you train yourself to understand monitor and manage your internal mental and emotional states. It takes some training, but I have found it to be very helpful over the long run. By this , I mean , evaluating how you are feeling and understanding why , and then doing what is necessary to get yourself into the mood you want. I see it as a mental/emotional version of the show Burn Notice ( a great show, BTW ).
I second this, right down to Burn Notice being an awesome show. You need to be in touch with how you're doing, and keeping that inner monologue going can help.
