Commentary on Campus Life
Kimberly Morice
-Sr. Staff Writer-
One month after the first day of classes and the spring semester is in full swing. Students have to balance studying, work, personal lives and campus involvement. A student who knows about this lifestyle better than most is Addison Brown.
Brown is in his fourth semester at STLCC-Meramec and is involved in a number of clubs including Student Governance Council, Campus Crusade for Christ, the engineering club and he is also a math tutor. Like many college students, Brown experiences a lot of late nights and sometimes pulling an all-nighter before an exam.
“I’m right in the middle of trying to really get organized because I know everything’s just going to start falling apart if I don’t get everything set and balanced,” Brown said.
Balance and organization is something students struggle with on a daily basis. The list of assignments and exams seem to pile up as the weeks go on. Organization is the key and figuring out where your priorities lie is also important.
“I think that you’ve got to get your priorities straight. School is always number one, classes are always number one, then you’ve got your jobs and they understand being a college student.” said Brown. “They understand that being a math tutor and being a server at a restaurant is not what I want to do for the rest of my life, so they understand that school is more important than the job at this moment,” Brown said.
Students who are apprehensive about balancing their involvement in college life and schoolwork will need to figure out what is most important to them. List-making, time management and keeping track of when assignments are due are all things that can help keep the stress away. Knowing when the appropriate times to hang out with friends can also be helpful.
The toughest part is getting into the mindset of a college student, which some may think consists only of thoughts of drinking alcohol and sleeping the day away. Dedicated students will find themselves in situations where Facebook is more enticing than textbooks, but they have most likely learned when to take breaks. With no assignments due for a few days in a row, the weekends can be used for relaxation and catching up with friends.
How students relax is up to them, whether they catch up on TV shows, go to a bar–if they are of age, of course–or hang out at someone’s house. There is a time and place for students to relax and take a break from the stresses of schoolwork. As long as they are responsible, students should be able to balance their personal lives, schoolwork and campus involvement without a problem.
