College is the place to find yourself; you learn who you are, what you value and what you want to spend the rest of your life doing. As college students, many people find themselves on a three-way teeter-totter between their social life, academics and faith. We want to have fun and make memories — but without sacrificing our values. We want to hang out with friends and do well in our classes. So how do you stand alone on a teeter-totter without hitting the ground?
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First, I’m going to say the obvious: we’re attending college to get an education. A good education often results in securing a job that we enjoy. Naturally, academics should be the number one priority. However, studying for days on end is not a lifestyle that can be maintained. Eventually, you’re going to burn out.
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Bottom line: college is fun. There are so many things going on to keep you entertained, and that makes it extremely easy to forget you’re even at school. College offers parties to go to, clubs to join and a new city to explore— the distractions are endless. Start leaning too far towards this lifestyle and you will find yourself buried in failing grades and assignments to do.
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I believe “faith” is synonymous with what you value. It’s important to understand, respect and make time for this. Trust me, no one goes into college with all their morals figured out or all their lines drawn — but you figure it out pretty quick. You learn what you’re comfortable with and what you definitely are not. College is for trying things out and finding where you belong. For me, part of figuring this out was diving deeper into my faith; personally, this was thinking about my religion and what I believe in. Unlike the two ends of the teeter-totter, faith isn’t something that will ever weigh you down. With that said, it can be just as easy to lose track or forget to keep up with your faith, especially on top of grueling academics and a social life.
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So, what is the magical solution for finding balance in your life? Like most complicated life questions, there really isn’t just one answer. Everyone is different in how much of any one thing they can handle. For me, I study until I can’t anymore and then have some fun, while always trying to find time for faith. So far, it has worked pretty well for me and I would recommend giving it a try. I also found it easier to sort out my own values by talking to others who were in the same position. Make friends who care about school. Make friends who like to let loose and relax in the same way you do. And most importantly, make friends who share most of the same values as you. That does not mean excluding people with different beliefs, but it does mean you probably shouldn’t only hang out with people who smoke if you don’t like to smoke. It just doesn’t make sense. I began looking for people who wanted to improve in the same ways as I wanted to improve. I found friends to study with, go to church with and have fun with. Balance is not necessarily all internal; you have to create balance in your environment. After doing this, my support system became not only the awesome friends I’ve made but also the Big Guy up above. So how do you stand on a teeter-totter without hitting the ground? It’s easy — you just stand in the middle.
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