Kunduz on How Students Can Balance Grades, Sleep, and Socializing
Unfortunately, many people believe that getting good grades can (or must) come at the cost of other forms of wellness.Getting enough sleep, maintaining a social life, and achieving balance with family, friends, and self-care are rumored to be impossible to achieve. The COVID-19 pandemic made this much worse, as schooling and home spaces became one and the same while cutting off many socialization opportunities.
As the world slowly adjusts to a new normal and communities begin to reopen, extracurriculars and social activities are also making a rebound. But with the academic pressures remaining the same, how can students juggle these demands and still experience fun? Kunduz, a global technology platform for tutoring access, is taking a closer look at how to help students achieve this balance.
Audit Commitments and Reevaluate Schedules to Balance Student Lives
Since the pandemic altered our daily lives, existing routines quickly became obsolete. New habits have formed, and different responsibilities have popped up. While some areas like family commitments, work, and class schedules are rigid, others are more flexible. As things shift once more toward a new normal, now is a great time to audit current commitments and make sure that everything students are doing is working in their favor. Students can ask themselves whether all their activities, sports, and extracurriculars are still rewarding or serve a purpose for their future plans. If not, it’s important to prioritize your time for things that matter.
With a trimmed down list of responsibilities, students can reevaluate their schedules. Some areas, like school start and end times, are going to be rigid. Others may be surprisingly adjustable. Kunduz recommends considering things like when the best time to start studying is based on personal levels of alertness. Some students are more engaged in the afternoons, while others may be in a better mindset to study in the morning.
Tips on Practicing Self Care from Kunduz
Getting ample sleep is important. It is key for proper brain function, growth, and learning, too. While sleeping, the brain rewrites short term memories (i.e., what was studied) into long-term memories (i.e., what we now know). Although it may seem like there is simply not enough time for ample sleep, one tip from Kunduz is to start with a targeted wake-up time and work backward to get a clear idea of when students should head to bed.
Socialization is also a form of self care. With a more optimized schedule, students can actually block time specifically for hanging out with their friends. This can help make sure that social and study time can coexist without one displacing the other. Maintaining connections with peers is a self-car act in itself. Other self-care ideas from Kunduz include spending time outdoors, practicing healthy exercise habits, and eating a healthy diet.
Kunduz Recommends Leveraging Resources Available to You
Studying can certainly feel like a solo activity. Even in study groups, it is still up to the individual student to learn and retain the information presented in classes. But Kunduz urges students to remember that they have more resources available to them than just the library and their in-class notes. Many schools have programs and supportive teachers who are more than willing to go the extra mile with their students. Students should reach out to these resources with questions and actively learn the content rather than ponder isolation.
Of course, one challenge to this is scheduling. Students may settle into an evening study session, only to hit on a topic or term that completely derails their plans. Without being able to overcome the challenge, they can become frustrated and wind up foregoing their schedule for something easier or more rewarding, like hanging out with friends. Kunduz points to additional online resources, including its on-demand tutoring services, that can help answer questions in real time. This keeps study sessions on track and gives students the extra support they need, when they need it.
