Making Every Minute Count

College is about new experiences, even for those students who are what we call "returning students," meaning those who have come back to school some years past their high school graduation (or upon their completion of a GED program). Even those students who attend online classes are in for new thoughts, new ideas, new ways of looking at the world, new interactions with people whom they might never have considered speaking with in the past. When you think about it, higher education offers an almost dizzying array of possibilities, options, learning experiences, that transcend whatever happens in the classroom (traditional or online).

And yes, college is also about coursework, about papers and case studies and problem sets and group projects. In fact, college is designed to push students academically as much as, if not more so, than in any other way. It is typical to have upwards of 25 hours per week of homework for full-time students, and that is a relatively low estimate. Not keeping up on said homework, even for a day or two, even at the beginning of the term, spells doom for many students, who fall behind and have no hopes of catching up.

But for those students who not only have jobs or careers, families, social obligations, and other responsibilities, 25+ hours a week is simply too much, on top of all of the other new and exciting learning opportunities the college experience affords. What can one do?

Balance is the key. You have to learn to balance your need to excel academically with your need to learn and grow in non-academic ways, as well as your need to attend to your existing responsibilities. That doesn't mean you blow off assignments. It means you outsource them instead, from time to time and as you need to do so, to a professional academic writing and research company. This way, you not only live your life and do what you need to do in school, but you allow yourself a bit of breathing room to not only really take it in, but also enjoy yourself a bit as well.