The Reality of the Balance Struggle | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

The Reality of the Balance Struggle

School is hard, how to make it all work?

146
The Reality of the Balance Struggle
CommStorm

It is almost guaranteed that anyone who has ever been a student knows about this infamous triangle of choices.

As legit as this seems I believe it is too simplistic to describe the decision dilemma us students go through everyday. Sure, if you get enough sleep it always feels like you either missed out on some gathering or you said 'who cares' about homework. Then if you choose social life grades may slip, and with all this in mind you are supposed to choose which two matter most and must leave one out. If this is already super accurate then what else could be a closer description, may I present to you the decagon of truth.


Our social life should not be limited to simply one general category. We are usually in different social scenarios with our friends than we are with the family. While in college you take the time to hang out with your friends, but then might want to send a catch up text to your siblings or Skype your parents. At the same time, you most likely have friends in two different ares, those at school and the ones you need to keep up with from home while they are on their own college adventures. All of this takes up your time, and coupled with the last social aspect of this decagon (love life) it makes matters even busier. Of course, these are all parts of your life that you are happy about, which only makes it harder to balance everything else.

A few of the points on this shape are mandatory tasks that are not always exciting (maybe not ever exciting for some). If you couldn't already guess those would be the work, homework, and class section. Not always our first choice, but they have to happen at least if you want to pass, graduate, or make money.

Then there are the other types of necessities like food and sleep, as wonderful as those two items are they both take lots of time out of the day. Between all three meals and the 'recommended' eight hours, basically half the day is used to fill these needs.

Lastly, there are the extra fun points left on our reality of balance. Anyone who has applied to a college or important job understands the importance of extra curriculars/clubs/leadership roles. Then there are activities like sports, reading, writing, singing, instrument playing, and the like. Sadly, if you want to enjoy one of these activities it seems like you will need to let the importance of something from the list above drop a bit.

If choosing two out of three is hard, then trying to pick a few out of all the options in the decagon has to feel impossible. The key to the whole equation is balance, which is way easier said then done. As the middle of the picture depicts, after trying to do it all stress sinks in and instead you may run away from your stresses with Netflix. In reality you cannot do them all to full extent, you can either pick and choose which matters more to act upon or perform all of them, just with minimal effort.

As they say, the struggle is real. However, there is a bright side and that would be the amount of choice we have. What we choose helps make us overtime, and as we learn choices have the ability to change. So,don't take them too seriously and have fun, because there will always be time to figure it out.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

15 Times Michael Scott's Life Was Worse Than Your Life

Because have you ever had to endure grilling your foot on a George Foreman?

1178
Michael Scott
NBC

Most of the time, the world's (self-proclaimed) greatest boss is just that, the greatest. I mean, come on, he's Michael Freakin' Scott after all! But every once in a while, his life hits a bit of a speed bump. (or he actually hits Meredith...) So if you personally are struggling through a hard time, you know what they say: misery loves company! Here are 15 times Michael Scott's life was worse than your life:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

16094
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

3360
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments