Have A Balance
I've been getting a lot of the same questions on ask.fm recently about how I manage to balance my studies & social life. Honestly, I'm no pro at balancing my life but I guess I'm doing something right if people are asking me for my take on it. I genuinely hope this post helps!
For starters, I make sure that my studies and social life are on the same scale. I refuse to be buried in books and not see the sun, neither do I choose to be a social butterfly with no brains. Having a balance is important, don't let either one over weigh the other.
Things you can do to help yourself find balance :
#1 GET A PLANNER & START PLANNING
I've been getting planners annually since 2013 and I find it really useful to have one. I'd jot down all the important upcoming events & things I have to complete in my planner to make sure they don't clash and that I never miss a dateline. Planners are essential as they help keep you organized and since it's jotted down on paper by pen, you can always check back to see what you've accomplished for reference purposes. If you're tech savvy, you can even note down all the things you need to do and important dates on your reminder & calendar apps.
#2 STUDY SMART
I don't usually do well for exams in school by choice because I'm honestly not as bothered by it as much as the major ones like UPSR, PMR & SPM. I usually study a week before for school based exams and months before for national trials & exams.
In my opinion, if you want to do well at all you have to make sure you get at least a chapter or two down everyday for a specific subject. Read & understand the chapter, make notes (it doesn't have to be pretty as long as you understand what you're noting down) and practice what you've learned by doing activity books. The earlier you start revising, the better of course. It gives you less time to stress over your upcoming exams and more time to relax because you've covered most of the chapters by spreading them out evenly throughout the year. You feel less guilty when you're out & about having fun because you've done your revision. You don't need to feel like you've accomplished a lot in a day because your brain won't be able to absorb all the info you try to cramp in. Spread it out, your mind & body will thank you later.
#3 DON'T RESTRICT YOURSELF FROM HAVING FUN
Got invited to an event that you're really keen to go to but you realized that you have a dateline to meet but you've been procrastinating? Start now. If you're keen to go somewhere, go. If you have something you need to complete before going for that event, complete it. Stop procrastinating and finish whatever you need to do. Don't restrict yourself from having a good day or night out just because you procrastinated. If you have an exam, follow #2 and study smart so you don't have to feel guilty later on. If you have a packed schedule, try to reschedule and see if you can fit some fun into your hell of a schedule. Be flexible and be motivated to finish what you started. There's always a way out if you're willing.
#4 BE SELECTIVE IN WHAT YOU WANT TO DO
There are a ton of fun activities out there that might be of interest to you but think before you commit. Some activities might not be as interesting as they seem because you might not be cut out for it. Be selective about what you choose to do because it can be a pain to be involved in things you're not so passionate about. I know they say jack of all trades, master of none ; though oftentimes better than a master of one but it's a waste of time if you're all over the place doing things you don't exactly love. You might as well have more free time to engage yourself in things that make you happy.
-Zoey