We all know that student life is full of essays to write, exams to take and courses to attend. But in between, there are a lot of parties, trips to take with friends and games to play. Being a student can prove to be overwhelming sometimes, as having to combine success in college with relationships is not easy at all!
You cannot focus only on one aspect, because you lose the magic of having them both in your student life. If you focus only on your studies, you will miss spending memorable times with colleagues and friends, and memories are among the most precious things we have. If you focus only on your relationships, you will miss learning new things and acquiring new knowledge.
But what can you do to be successful in both, your studies and relationship?
Here are 5 tips to combine success in college with your relationships:
1. Set Some Study Goals
Setting goals is important because they keep you motivated and help you not lose track. It might seem pretty difficult at the beginning to focus on your studies when all you can think about is your weekend plans with your friends or your partner. But to maintain a balance between your study life and your relationships, you need to improve your power to focus.
Set some study goals and try to accomplish them. Do not skip writing an essay or learning for exams because they help you improve your skills, which in turn will help you in your future career. Set some clear boundaries between college and your relationship. No one says you should neglect your relationships, but for success in college and success in relationships, you need to persevere in both domains. Study time should be sacred and seeing your loved ones can be seen as a reward.
2. Study Together
Another idea that could work, especially if you study the same subjects or you are colleagues in the same year, is to study together. Having a study buddy can be really helpful, as you motivate and encourage each other.
A study session can be funnier if you have someone by your side. Also, you get to know each other’s habits, how you learn and this can be helpful when you prepare for difficult exams. After you both accomplish your study goals, you can relax and watch a movie or listen to some music. Studying together can be really fun!
3. Understand Your Needs
Some periods are characterized by stress, hardships and lots of projects to do. All these can influence your behaviour and you can be crankier and more irritable. This can have negative consequences on your overall relationships with your family, friends, and partner.
The best thing you can do is talk and try to create a mutual understanding. Maybe when you feel tired and irritable you need some alone-time and space. To maintain harmonious relationships you need to make sacrifices sometimes.
Sacrificing time to make the other feel better can contribute to healthy relationships. It is also important to acknowledge that your partner is often a source of comfort and security and can be your safe haven in times of distress.
4. An Effective Schedule
We all know that it is hard for students to have both, successful private lives and a successful academic one. To be successful in your studies you need to invest a lot of time in learning new skills and knowledge. But you cannot focus only on your essays and assignments, as you might experience burnout.
So, because most college schedules are chaotic, with classes all day long, you can set an effective schedule. Like this, you will both know when the other is having classes and when you can meet with each other.
5. Time Management
Time management is one of the most important skills a student must-have. Why? Because you have a lot of assignments to do and also classes to attend. And when you also have a partner, things might get complicated. If you manage to plan all your activities and set a time limit for each one, you can successfully combine both studies and relationships.
How can you improve your time management skills? You need to start prioritizing your tasks and activities. Maybe you can skip a few hours of research to make time for your family. Or maybe you can delay your plans to finish your project. This does not mean that one is more important than the other, but that you try to take care of both of them as best as you can.
Another tip that will help you improve your time management skills is to eliminate distractions during your activities. For example, when you study, put your phone on silent and do not keep any tabs with Messenger of Facebook open. The notifications will distract you and it will be difficult to regain your focus.
What’s Next?
Remember you can combine success in college with your relationships. It is important to be aware that it is not easy, nor impossible. You need to openly discuss your habits and needs.
Plan a weekly schedule that can improve your efficiency. Stick to your tasks and avoid any distractions. And
And if you both have to study for the same subject, it is perfect. You can study together!
