Extra-Curricular Activities
Chathurie Nupearachchi
Physicist with good vibes while acting multiple roles as a lecturer, researcher, education consultant, STEM activist, writer and speaker
How to manage your studies while doing extra-curricular activities?
Whether you are in school, college or university as a student, the equilibrium of your studies and extra- curricular activities is the key to a successful academic journey. An imbalance in any of them can lead to stress or anxiety or both according to my experience with students. Even biasing to one side of academic life as a bookish nerd or being a good player/team mate in extra-curricular activities should not be promoted if you want to move with the current trends of education.
Here I have mentioned the things that I am still doing to balance my studies and extra activities.
1. Set your priorities and develop a schedule on daily, weekly and/or monthly basis. Even if you have a lengthy to-do list, the academic work should be your first priority as they are the foundation of your growth. A properly laid out schedule should include all of your deadlines, activities, due dates, events etc. where it is the key to your time management.
2. Be selective of what you can do by knowing your limit as the ability of doing extra-curricular work differs from person to person. I feel that extra-curricular activities allow you to be part of an initiative and it can vary by being a member in a club, band, sports team or volunteer work. So, you need to pick the right ones wisely that you like the most. Always remember not to get into many things that you honestly cannot handle. For example, I remember that I was not a sporty person during my school days. Hence, I was involved in couple of societies and school choir as an active member where I acted as the president of the general knowledge club as well.
3. Delegate your tasks when necessary as you do not need to do everything by yourself. Learning to say ‘NO’ is important for your physical and mental health when you have so much in your plate.
4. Get rest and recharge your bio-battery inside with your set boundaries. Self-care is a divine responsibility of yours. So, do not hesitate to take a break when necessary.
Actually, balancing both studies and extra-curricular activities is not an easy task with the current lifestyle of students. But I believe that you can be an all-rounder by being productive with self- discipline.
Tip:
The following link explains 7 steps to balance your grades with extra-curricular activities.
https://www.througheducation.com/how-to-balance-grades-extracurricular-activities-in-college/