When I first came to Redeemer, one of the things I was looking forward to the most was the socializing. I had been talking to my dorm over facebook for about a month, and I was so excited to meet them! Then my RA introduced us to dorm dinners. Having people over and showing off your cooking skills (or lack thereof) followed by group games is always a blast. Then there are the monthly activities such as Hot Spot, Coffee House, Church in the Box, and the Junction. These activities are a perfect opportunity to escape from homework and hang out with friends. Another part of Redeemer socialization is the times when you get to chill with friends and just do whatever. So far this year, I’ve gone skating on Redeemer’s outdoor ice rink, been to the movies, had girl nights with my dormies, and planned game nights with other dorms.
Usually these nights of socialization last until midnight or later. This can cause a problem when it comes to school work. Take last night for example. I went skating with girls from my dorm and one of our friends, and we didn’t get back until midnight. Then I realized that I needed to study for my French test, write this blog, and get some sleep. Who would’ve thought I’d end up in this position? At the beginning of the school year, I rarely left my dorm because I always had some “homework” that needed to be done. Now, I’m finding it hard to get back into the routine of school. Socializing is so much more fun than studying French vocab and sleeping.
So, how do you find the perfect balance between school and a social life? Basically, you need to figure out how long it takes you to do homework assignments, readings, and studying. Then you can plan your social life around that. When you start your planning, you need to take into account the seasons of the semester: midterms, papers, and exams. Usually the first month of each semester is pretty slack on large homework assignments and tests. This is the best time to do your socializing. Once the midterm and paper season hits in the second and third month, you need to make sure you have your priorities straight (ie. School before socializing). Then depending on your confidence in your courses and depending on your exam schedule, exam time can be a good time for socializing. I found that talking with friends was one of the best kinds of study breaks. (Just make sure you study enough to do well on your exams). The moral of the story is: socializing at Redeemer is great, but schoolwork is also very important. Each person’s balance between the two is different, and it takes time to make it perfect. But once you do, life will be a lot less stressful.
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