As your schooling becomes more advanced, you have more freedom to control your own life. This is particularly true if you move away from your family.  You can consider pursuing different interests and trying new things. There are many opportunities both at the school or college, and within the community.  Join a group, join a team, volunteer for something, attend a concert, go to the gym, take up a new hobby, make new friends, go out with friends — all of these are perfectly valuable and important things to do. The school newspaper is often a great place to find out what is happening around campus. Your first job while at school is to focus on studying, but studying will be easier if you have balance in your life. Extra-curricular activities (depending on the type) can also be helpful later when applying for jobs and scholarships — decision-makers often want to see that you can balance your life and be active in your community. The key is to not allow the socializing and extra-curricular activities to hurt your grades. Time management is important. With nothing but studying, it’s easy to let things drag on because you’re so tired and there’s no reward at the end. It’s often easier to work hard for the next 3 hours to finish an assignment knowing that you have something fun to do in the evening.

What is your best tip for balancing work and fun at school?