RADP / Pulse Ghana  >  Communities  >  Student

How to balance education with social life in the University

sQuashie

For a university experience to be memorable, you need to have had your fair share of socialisation.

For a university experience to be memorable, you need to have had your fair share of socialisation.
For a university experience to be memorable, you need to have had your fair share of socialisation.

After all that's the reason why you were enrolled in the first place. For you to become an academic overachiever, you need to have buried yourself deep in the library for hours, know it's ins and outs and staying up at night to burn the proverbial candle. Unless of course you are some sort of a whizzkid that does not study but knows everything.

However, university is not supposed to be all about that. For a university experience to be memorable, you need to have had your fair share of socialisation. This can be hard for students with an academic ambition but with this guide you can navigate these waters.

1. Get your head out of the books and discover the town

ADVERTISEMENT

This does not mean aimlessly roaming town. It is especially important for students who are new to the city their university is located. For example, BlueCrest College is located in the heart of Accra, a melting pot for numerous activities. For students originally from other cities such as Kumasi or Takoradi, there is a lot to explore. The city boasts cultural institutions, events and tourist sites such as museums, theatres and poetry slams dotted around. These places and events are great avenues to meet new people and establish lifelong relationships. If you live in the school library, you will miss out on all of these.

2. Join a progressive club

Clubs and societies on campus are a great way to socialize. Universities tend to have a pool to choose from. They include those based on the course you're studying, hall of residence, religious groups and those open to all based on general interest. Join one or two of any of these and get your social game on.

3. Run for a student office

It is not enough to join these clubs and become a fleeting member. Become an active member of these organisations, pay your dues and attend meetings religiously. One way is to run for an elected position. If your ambitions are high enough, you could try your hands at the main student union body. These may include president, organiser, treasurer or secretary. It does not matter if you lose, it is the experience that matters.

ADVERTISEMENT

4. Make forward-looking friends

Friends are very good to have. Keep friends who affect your life positively. Good friends will invite you to the cinema to watch a movie, watch a drama series over the weekend, to birthday parties or some beneficial occasion. Friends that lead you to binge drinking, smoking and missing lectures should be abhorred. Be selective when choosing your comrades. It is also very important to have friends outside your course of study.

At BlueCrest College, there are number of courses on offer including journalism, fashion and design, business administration and information technology. So if you are studying journalism, it would be helpful to have friends who are pursuing studies in fashion or banking and finance. This ensures that you and your friends are not limited to only a select few.

Engaging in these activities equips you with much needed people skills. Because in the real world, you would struggle to get by with your academics alone. The real world demands street smartness, people skills and knowledge outside your study area. It also involves building a network of friends and contacts who can be relied on in the future. It even helps you to destress; academic work can be very tiresome.

If you manage your time well, you should be able to make your parents proud and leave school with a buoyant network of friends. Whatever you do, don’t leave school without being known.

ADVERTISEMENT

BlueCrest College Ghana has offerings in certificate and diploma programmes, undergraduate, as well as postgraduate degrees in Information Technology, Business Administration, Mass Communication, Fashion and Design. Visithttp://register.bluecrest.edu.gh for more information and to apply

This article was commissioned by BlueCrest College Ghana.

sQuashie

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.com.gh

ADVERTISEMENT