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Student Voice

How to Find the Balance Between Friends and School


three female friends laugh together

Do you feel pressure to get perfect grades? If you get too caught up in the chase for the perfect GPA, one day you might lift your head out of your books and realize you haven’t seen your friends in a long time. 


You have to make time for your friends and social relationships as well as your schoolwork. Not only are relationships crucial for your mental health, but they can give you the energy and support you need to do well in school. Learning how to balance your friends and your studies is a valuable skill.


Create a Big Picture Schedule


You already have a class schedule and an agenda to track important due dates. But do you have a big picture schedule? A big picture schedule helps you break up your time into school, homework, extracurricular activities, time with your friends, and downtime. Think of this schedule as a guide to your ideal life. 


Start each week by writing down all of your commitments, like clubs and sports. Then estimate how much time you’ll need for your homework. With the time you have left, block out some time to spend with your friends. 


Keep your life flexible. Leave free spaces in your schedule so you can keep up if your teacher gives you extra homework or one of your friends needs your support.


Write Daily To Do Lists


Now that you have your ideal schedule, narrow your focus to your day-to-day tasks. What do you have to get done before you can spend time with your friends? This to-do list will help you stay focused and not be tempted into playing video games before all of your homework is done. 


Make these to-do lists realistic. If you study a bit every night, you’ll have time left to spend with your friends, at school clubs, or just decompressing. 


Keep Your Friends in the Loop


Your friends also have to balance their studies and social life, just like you. They’ll understand when you have to stop responding to the group chat for a few hours so you can focus on studying. But that doesn’t mean you have to leave anyone on read. 


Tell your friends when you have a big test or project coming up and you need to focus for a few hours. You can even collaborate with your friends to balance your studies and social life. For example, agree to reward your hard work by meeting up after your project or exam is over. 


Set Boundaries Between Friends and School


We all have that one friend who spends a little too much time socializing and not enough time on their studies. If you feel pressure to do the same, remember: “no” is a complete sentence. Let your friends know that you care about them and your studies. You’ll be in touch as soon as you can. 


At LeadYouth, we believe that a thriving social life is important for our learners. Connecting with friends teaches students about teamwork, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal communication. Discover our courses. 

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