Being a student at university is a full-time job that needs to be taken very seriously but making friends and socialising is also important. The key is getting the balance right. Let’s look at how you can do that.
Your first year at university is a really important one for many reasons. It might be your first time away from home, you probably won’t know anyone on your course or at university, and there’s so much to learn and get used to. In your first year, it’s a great idea to socialise and join clubs and societies.
You need to make new friends and learn to work with and talk to different people. However, you mustn’t forget that your main goal and priority is to study and get your degree. While taking some time off is needed, studying should be your main focus. Having a calendar with key dates and goals can help with planning.
Problems with socialising too much
Making friends and establishing study groups can help with studying. Learning and working in groups helps generate ideas and work through problems, but sometimes the delicate balance can be lost. It’s important to realise when socialising goes from supporting your studies to being a reason to avoiding it altogether.
It’s easy to slip into the bad habit of not prioritising study enough or using socialising as an excuse or a reason to avoid it. Procrastination (the action of delaying or putting something off) can set you back in achieving your goals. Make sure you don’t use socialising as a reason for not going to lectures, completing an assignment on time, or revising for exams effectively.
FOMO – the fear of missing out - is real. We have all suffered from it, and a new life at university will make it worse. You’ve set yourself a goal of completing your assignment on ‘Wednesday’ but then someone invites you to a party they’re having, and you feel that you can’t say ‘no’.
If you say ‘no’, you feel like you’ll be missing out on an exciting event or feel that everyone will be there except you. FOMO can lead you to making bad decisions or setting you back in your study schedule. It’s important to make good choices and learn when and how to say ‘no’.
How to get the balance right?
Here are some top tips for achieving the right amount of studying and socializing:
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Set your study plan and priorities/goals for each week, month, semester.
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Discover the best study time for you. Do you work better in the mornings or late afternoons? Learn what works for you and schedule study time for that period of the day.
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Find good people who bring positivity into your life. Avoid or distance yourself from people who use up your energy and/or bring negativity into your life.
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Attend all your lectures. (Listening to recordings isn’t the same thing, and you may avoid doing it.)
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Get out of your dorm/bedroom and into your university to study. Use the library or book a study room for group work. You don’t have to and shouldn’t work from home all the time.
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Socialise with your friends during your lunch break. (See eat well above – you need to eat, so use this time to see your friends or chat with your family). We also have some great recipes you can try.
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Learn to say ‘no, thanks’ or ‘maybe next time’.
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Learn that there’s also JOMO – joy in missing out!
As you can see getting the balance right between socialising and studying isn’t as tough as you may think. Going to university should be an experience involving both. If you’re looking for some more advice, why not read our guide to what you can expect in your first three months at university and how to live in a culturally different world at university?
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