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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wisconsin chapter.

Motivation can be difficult

Maintaining hobbies as a college student can be very difficult. Personally, I find it hard to make time to do things I enjoy because I’m usually busy or exhausted. So while I always seem to find the time to scroll on my phone or watch a show, when it comes to hobbies that require more physical or mental energy, I fall short. 

After a long day of classes, studying or socializing, I always seem to want to sleep or do something mindless. While I do enjoy those luxuries, sometimes I want to participate in a hobby where I can actually feel creative or accomplished–like I’m making something instead of just passively engaging it.  

I like to do art in my free time. Sometimes knitting, but usually painting. I even brought paint materials to school so I can do it from the comfort of my room if I don’t want to make the trek to the union’s Wheelhouse Studio. The problem is that usually, I will start a project and then it will stay sitting on my desk for weeks and sometimes months. I refuse to put the materials away as a form of encouragement (or punishment if you want to think of it that way). I guess I think maybe if I leave them there, where they take up space and get in the way, I will finally dedicate some time to painting in order to clear the mess away. This method has been hit or miss for me so far. 

While I know that sleeping and relaxing are important to take advantage of as a college student when you get the time, I also believe it is important to make time to do activities that make you happy in a more active way. College can be a very monotonous experience if you let it, and engaging in a hobby every now and then can help break up the repetitiveness. It’s easy to let yourself fall into a routine, and routines can be great in a lot of ways. But being really locked into a routine can also get you burned out fast. You can become so focused and used to the cycle of working hard and keeping up with friends that you don’t notice that you’re not getting rested or energized in all the ways you need to. Not engaging yourself creatively is just one example. 

In situations like this, it can be very frustrating to want to do something but lack the motivation to follow through. Because of this, a goal of mine for the next school year is to make time for hobbies even if it is just once a week. Making time for oneself is just as important as schoolwork, and it can be easy to forget that. I recommend that everyone fit in some time for themselves, whether that’s self-care, spending time with friends, getting more sleep or working on their hobbies. It is a hard goal to achieve, but I think it’s worth putting in the effort.

Sylvia Madorsky

Wisconsin '26

Sylvia Madorsky is a Junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is double majoring in Psychology and Gender and Women’s Studies. In her free time, she likes to read, paint, and spend time with her friends.