Getting the Most out of Your Free Time in College
SYLVIA KOHL
The workload you encounter in college may come as a nasty surprise after what you may have been used to in high school. The problem is not just that there is a lot of work but also that you have to organize it yourself, as nobody is looking for you to make sure you aren’t slacking off. However, no matter how much work you have, there will be free time – and making the most of it is as important an art as getting all the homework done on time, as it helps you keep your mind fresh and prevent burnout. And surprising as it may be, getting royally hammered every evening isn’t the only time to have a great time in college – so if you want to have mercy on your liver, let’s take a look at other opportunities.
1. Get in Touch with Your On-Campus Buddies during Breaks
During your college years, you are going to meet many new people and make new friends, sometimes even lifelong ones. However, many student buddies lose sight of each other soon after graduating. If you want to prevent this (and have a good time in the process), try keeping in touch with your newfound friends during breaks. You may plan ahead to have a camping trip in summer or do something else that you don’t have time for when you study. This will both help you show that your friendship goes further than college grounds and create some good memories along the way.
2. Organize Thematic Parties
College is all about meeting new people, opening up to new things and getting new experiences. In most colleges, you are likely to meet a fair amount of international students, coming from cultures that are sometimes wildly different from your own. Why not get together with one such community and suggest organizing a party centered around a holiday that is traditionally celebrated in their culture but is unknown in our country? Or you may simply celebrate someone’s birthday using an unusual national stylistic. Giving thematic, personalized gifts will further enhance the atmosphere – after all, aftershave will probably look out of place if everything else is done in a purely ethnic fashion.
3. Get Involved with Clubs and Teams
Participating in extracurricular activities will help you both create a deeper bond with college and its community and leave a mark on it, creating a well-rounded university experience. It will also help you build new relationships and meet many new people sharing your interests and hobbies.
4. Attend Extracurricular Seminars and Lectures
What? More studying? Yes and no. An absolute majority of colleges regularly bring in guest speakers and lecturers, offering unique opportunities for learning from famous experts in their fields. Outside of college attending these events would mean paying a hefty sum for such a possibility – but you can do it for free or at a symbolic rate. Many professors are even ready to reward students with extra credits if they can provide some proof of attendance – so it is both an excellent way to learn and save some time later on.
5. Learn a New Skill
College is a unique period in your life because you have both enough time and easily accessible opportunities to learn. In a few years’ time you will be firmly engaged in day-to-day work, but now you are free to learn whatever you want: a new language, a musical instrument to play, acquire coding skills – and as a student, you are likely to get a hefty discount.
There are many ways of spending your free time in college in ways that are both productive and fun – so let your imagination run free and try out new things!
Sylvia Kohl is an IT teacher with more than 8 years of professional experience. Her main spheres of interest are e-education and she convinced that learning process doesn’t stop after years in school and university.
