Rest, Play, Study: Finding a Balance

Life consists of different areas, and we all have different identities. In this phase of your life, being a student maybe your major social identity. However, at the same time, don't forget you are also a friend, a daughter/son, a colleague of somebody. Aligned with the learning/ studying approach suggested by Dr Serena Sharma, the founder of AcademEase, while focusing on your study, there are different aspects of life that you could/should nourish and develop. It is like eating, it is important to have a balanced, healthy diet for your everyday life. However, how to do that in light of a hectic study schedule with various academic commitment? 

Include nice moments on your schedule 

I am sure your lectures, seminars and assessment deadlines are all on your schedule. Besides 'official' commitment, I suggest that you include other little things that would make you happy on your agenda (Sharma, 2021). You can start by breaking down your time into smaller sessions, let's say 50 minutes per study/ reading/ writing sessions. Then ask yourself, 'How many study sessions do I want to include on a particular day?', 'Will that make sense to include a lot of study sessions on a busy day?', 'What would be best time-period to place those sessions on my calendar, in the morning, afternoon, evening, before or after meal time?' I would like to remind you that when it comes to studying (also other areas in life), it is not necessarily the more the better, but the higher the quality the better. 

Here is an article on TIME about working in sessions and the importance of taking breaks. 

Also, while you are planning your day, don't forget little fun things and rewards that you can include on your calendar – those are important moments that made your day a beautiful one! It could be enjoying a cup of tea, cooking with your friends, seeing a piece of art after seminars that would make you smile...etc. In other words, plan your rewards and nice moments intentionally and mindfully on a daily basis. 

Appreciate how far you have come

Studying is a journey. Most of the time, it may take some time for you to realise your improvement and growth. Like learning a new musical instrument or language, it takes time for your brain to adapt to musical notation and new grammatical rules. Albeit being less salient, you are learning and improving every single day, if you are persistent in the process. Instead of focusing on what you haven't done enough, I encourage you to acknowledge your little growth. For instance, being able to understand a new concept, noticing a new insight in seminars can be beautiful moments. Moreover, tracing back to mid-September, you must be able to notice how far you have come. If there are things that you want to improve, take the time and opportunity in this term to move forward. But more importantly, acknowledge the time and effort that you have put in so far. 

(Here is an article by Sharma (2021) about how to measure your learning progress wisely and appropriately)

Spend your fun time wisely 

Everyone is special and unique. Therefore, what makes you happy could be quite different from others. Besides working your schedule around lectures and seminars, I suggest that you plan for your weekend, with an objective to have fun and relax. Based on who you are, you could include weekend activities that would nourish you and recharge your battery. There are many activities and cultural events within and outside LSE. However, the key is to choose how to spend your fun time according to your interest and liking. I always hear students say they want to make the best at LSE – of course you do! Yet the 'most' does not necessarily equal to 'all'. Plan for your fun time and choose wisely for yourself. You know the best about what you want and what you would like to explore.



Dr Jessica Kong

Warden, Passfield Hall