Balancing academic responsibilities and life experiences can be difficult in college, especially during freshman year with so many new environments and opportunities.
While many professors encourage students to relax and enjoy themselves, they also emphasize the importance of staying focused on academics and making the most of their education.
“I remember when I was an incoming freshman, it was 2017, and I didn’t know what to expect,” said Ch’Ree Essary, an assistant professor of science communication in the College of Communication and Information Sciences. “I never really had to think about work-life balance before. I never even heard that term before, so it was definitely a learning curve.”
Essary recommends that students treat school like a full-time job, leaving the evenings open for any extracurriculars or time with friends. Having designated study areas and trying to “stay true to yourself” when tempted to do more play than work are methods Essary said helped during her undergraduate studies.
“I do recommend that students start building habits now, or else they will always be in the habit of not maintaining work-life balance,” Essary said. “Set those boundaries early.”
Juan José Ponce Vázquez, an associate professor in the history department, advises incoming freshmen to create a schedule for themselves and to avoid procrastination as much as possible.
“It’s all about organization, right? If you actually set up your goals very early on and you’re studying steadily, don’t let things kind of pile up on you,” Vázquez said.
Vázquez also recommends being proactive and communicating with professors early on in the semester when feeling overwhelmed with work or problems, and taking advantage of professional opportunities.
Having a social life and making connections is another important part of college, and finding time to incorporate fun around academics can help in the long run.
“You need to have meaningful relationships in order to keep your sanity, because at the end of the day, if you start pushing really really hard and all you do is sit in the books and nothing else, it’s gonna be really hard,” Vázquez said.
Wendy Rawlings, who teaches creative writing in the English department, advises students to figure out what their learning style is, focus on what makes them happy and determine their priorities for the semester to avoid burnout.
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance in college often means making difficult trade-offs between academic goals and social opportunities. Professors agree that while it’s important to enjoy the college experience and build meaningful relationships, it’s equally crucial to stay disciplined and prioritize long-term academic and professional success.
“Try to talk to an upperclassman and talk to a professor that you respect, and ask them what tips that they have,” Rawlings said. “It’s going to be particular to the student, the student’s situation and some students are working too, so they have to prioritize that.”
