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Ask the Head Advisor – Balancing Friends and School
What to do when play with friends is starting to impinge on academics.
The names have been changed, but the questions are real...
Q: Now I'm living on campus, the never-ending temptation to hang out with my friends is interfering with my work. What are some suggestions to keep the delicate balance?
-- JASMINE
NEW YORK, NY
A: Jasmine, I love that you're asking me this question now, when you and your fellow freshmen still have time to seek that magical balance in your very first college semester!
I could give you some tips about how to communicate with your friends about your need to study and earn good grades. If you were my advisee, I could suggest that we meet up and role-play to get you ready for that conversation.
I could give you some statistics about how many hours you should be studying each week in order to get the grades you want.
But my advice to you today is: Run and hide. Decide when you're going to the library to work. Slip out when nobody's looking and find a study spot so deep in the bowels of the library that no one can find you. If your friends can't find you, they can't tempt you. And if you can't see them, you won't be distracted. When your work is done you can show up again, and socialize without guilt.
Happy balancing!