High school is a really exciting time – with new experiences, friendships, and opportunities at every turn, it’s easy to get caught up in the fun. But with the pressures of studying and maintaining a social life, it can sometimes feel overwhelming. To make sure you don’t experience burnout, it’s super important to find a healthy balance between your academic responsibilities and your social life.
We’ve put together 7 great tips to help you maintain healthy relationships while keeping up with your studies.
Tips for balancing social life and studies
1. Create a schedule
No-one wants to hear it, but planning is key to balancing your responsibilities. A fun, effective way to stay on top of things is to create a weekly schedule that includes time for studying, extracurricular activities, and social events. Make sure to leave some leeway for the unexpected though, because things are bound to change from time to time.
2. Set priorities
What’s most important to you? Good grades? Quality time? Your studies should definitely be a top priority, but it’s also important to make time for friends, family, and your mental wellbeing. Figure out your priorities and set aside time for them as needed. For example, if you have an important test coming up, you might need to cut back on social activities for a little while.
3. Communicate with your friends
Honesty is really valuable in a friendship, so make sure to be open with your friends about schoolwork. True friends will understand if you need to study for an upcoming exam or complete a project – they might even want to help. There’s no need to choose between studying and socialising if your friends are supportive and want you to succeed.
4. Combine study and social time
You don’t have to study all alone. Forming a study group with friends is one way to make your study sessions more enjoyable. You can quiz each other, discuss challenging topics, and keep each other on task. Here’s a few ways you can optimise a group study session:
5. Take breaks
All work and no play can lead to burnout. Make sure to take regular breaks during your study sessions to relax and recharge – it can improve your concentration and productivity so you actually get the most out of your study. You can use this time to catch up with friends, go for a walk, or enjoy one of your hobbies. Try the Pomodoro technique for an effective study/break ratio.
6. Learn to say no
One of the best skills you can have in life is the ability to say “no” when you need to. Remember, it’s more than okay to say no to plans if you’re feeling overwhelmed with study. Your friends will totally understand – in fact, they’re probably in the same boat! You can always plan to hang out when you have more free time.
7. Use technology wisely
Technology can be really useful, but it’s all too easy to get distracted on your phone and end up wasting hours on TikTok when you’re supposed to be studying. We recommend using these time management apps to help your study, but be mindful of distractions from social media and online gaming. Setting boundaries for your screen time to ensure it doesn’t interfere with your studies is a great way to take accountability for yourself.
Find out more
Learning how to balance social life and studies is a skill that’s going to come in handy for the rest of your life. If you want to learn more about managing your time effectively and maintaining healthy relationships, we have loads more tips and resources here.