How to Balance Studies and Social Life in North Campus
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!” As students, we have worked really hard, from pulling tiring all-nighters to brainstorming our way through exams, often cutting fun out of the picture. But after all these efforts, we have achieved something big—being called students of Delhi University! Now, we’re responsible for maintaining a balance between our academic life and social activities. Balancing studies and social life is essential to making the most of our college years.
Who wouldn’t want to enjoy their late teens and early 20s exploring Delhi while keeping grades up? The North Campus hype has always been strong. Whether it be for the great colleges of Vishvavidyalaya or the spirited events in Kamla Nagar, GTB, or Majnu Ka Tila, the area resonates with vibrant student life. In this blog, we address the need for balance, common challenges, and strategies to achieve it
Why do we need to have a balance between studies and social life?
Stress management:
The tag of ‘young adults’ pushes us to have many accomplishments under our name. In this process, we tend to overlook our health. Physically and mentally, we go through immense exhaustion. Hence, to overcome this pressure caused by the hectic academic environment, we need to rest enough to recharge ourselves.
Avoiding social alienation:
We need to remember the value of our social circle. Guidance and support is very vital, especially from our elders, having productive and interactive exchanges with them is necessary. Isolation can be very damaging to the natural growth of a human as a social being.
What are the common challenges in achieving the balance between studies and social life?
Peer pressure:
Peers can make you feel inferior in terms of marks and abilities. This may lead to isolation. They may also push you into activities that don’t align with your interests. You need to take control of your choices and not let others take advantage of you.
Societal expectations:
We might be driven by the thought of impressing our elders by being outstanding in studies. While this can be motivational, being too hard on ourselves can be demoralizing. We have to be serious but grow on our own terms.
Strategies to achieve balance studies and social life in college: –
Scheduling, Planning and Journaling
Remember as kids, whenever our school bag was packed the night before, mornings were smoother. Planning the week and allotting ample time to our academic goals, while reserving some time for our social life and the ‘me time’ as well, keeps us well managed. Reflecting on our day and journaling the progress, while also jotting the TO-DOs for the next day, can help in approaching your work with a clearer frame of mind . Using planners, journals and calendars can be of great help to plan out your day’s endeavour.
Eating Well and Self Care
In order to manage your commitments to both academics and social life, you need to take good care of yourself. Make sure to eat well, even if you dislike the PG or hostel food; have a glass of fresh juice which is available around every corner of Vijay Nagar, have protein shakes or other health supplements regularly. Giving yourself time to exercise and be physically pumped, sleeping enough and keeping emotions in check will help you function better in the long run.
Study Circles and Group Study
Someone might understand a problem better than you do and have better solutions for it. One of the most useful ways of optimizing learning is to have a group study conducted online or have physical meet ups comprising study circles to enhance your intellect. At UniLiv, we have a study area, a quiet space for residents to study together and share ideas. Studying with friends is a gain in two ways- it allows you to socialise, as well as deliberate on interesting matters.
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Fest season and College Events
As we begin the college Fests, north campus students should be very excited. This is the best time for fellow college-goers to fully engage in college activities and competitions which help us to build our self-esteem, team spirit and social compatibility. We meet many like-minded people and grow our social circle while also learning new skills through co-curriculars. It is a festive atmosphere and DU students should make the most out of it by being active participants in the college Fests.
Exploring Eateries and shopping in North campus
As students, we run on a very tight budget, but even with 300 rupees in our bank account, we can enjoy a good hangout (of course, if we’re going Dutch though). It’s a proven fact that ‘some laughs with friends a day, keeps the doctor away’; there are so many fun things to do around North campus like karaoke in MKT, street shopping in Kamla, walking around the various campuses, trying out the small food stalls of GTB, which can help you come out of your writer’s block and refocus your energy on studies.
Studying outdoors
North campus has the old Delhi charm, a busy but beautiful scenery surrounded by parks and heritage monuments. You can visit many of these places to study in the heart of nature, and feel refreshed and inspired. Sometimes there could be a monotonous, lethargic vibe in our rooms, where concentrating can become tough; the solution to this is to step outside with your books and camera and be a tourist.
Visit nearby monuments like the Red Fort and Jama Masjid; go to a garden or park and find yourself a spot and start studying; play a lo-fi playlist on your earphones and absorb the positive energy of the life you see around. Doing this can help you check another famous spot from your bucket list while also getting academic work done.
Conclusion
Balancing studies and social life may seem tough, but it is doable. While academic expectations are high, we also need to live our best days. We must acknowledge that we are human and need both knowledge and social connections. It’s crucial to manage time wisely. Be enthusiastic about opportunities, but also take breaks. Don’t overburden yourself—move at your own pace, take pauses, and then proceed until you reach your destination.