The Life of a Student: Working Hard and Playing Hard by tahlia

The Life of a Student: Working Hard and Playing Hard by tahlia - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

Accurately said by Albert Einstein is the quote, “The only source of knowledge is experience.” I am currently ending my first year of college and I have learned so much, from ending my high school journeys where I saw my parents every day to growing up and starting my new adult life in college. I think as we grow it is imperative to share our knowledge and our experiences to younger individuals because it can truly help and influence their lives in ways we cannot always comprehend. Going from high school to college is a big transition that cannot be done alone. Thankfully, I have had the support of my family and friends to get me through it. Through the learning experience I have acquired one of the most important pieces of advice that I can give to younger students and that is to be balanced. I would say my advice is first to understand and accept why you need balance and apply it to your everyday life, especially when it comes to school, but also when it comes to work and play.
According to Dictionary.com the definition of balance is, “a state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight, amount, etc.” Balance is a life necessity it is something every child, college student, and adult needs. Jana Kingsford says, “Balance is not something you find, it is something you create.” I completely agree with this statement because it is important that we make time for time. Unfortunately, we do not stumble upon balance; it is something we have to sit down and plan.
“Balance means never letting success get to your head and failure get to your heart”-Unknown. When dealing with school it becomes very difficult to balance things, between assignments, meetings, practices, and exercising there is always something to do. Never letting success get to your head means you do not allow pride and arrogance to dictate who you are and how you act. It is important for us to stay mentally balanced, to keep studying, continuing to set a bedtime for ourselves although we are young adults, to continue monitoring how much time you spend watching Netflix or scrolling through your timeline on social media. Balance also means not letting failure get to your heart. Throughout life, you will experience rejection whether it be from jobs, organizations, or even friend groups. At times, you will receive low scores on either test or reviews. However, the point is not to be controlled by the things you do wrong or mess up on, but use it as motivation, strengthening you to surpass expectations.
“Life is a balance between rest and movement,”-Osho. The beauty of life is that we get to make our own decisions, either to be that outgoing person who volunteers for everything in sight, or to be that introverted individual that prefers to stay in and finish a book series in a week. We all have obligations, things that have to be done and we occasionally find ourselves asking why there is not more time in the day. It is up to us to make that time, time for movies and time for work, time for exercising and time for eating. There is a time for everything we just have to plan our lives accordingly.
My first year has been great, it has gone by very quickly, but I have truly enjoyed it mainly because I kept balance in my life. I kept a planner so that I was constantly aware of my obligations, I set aside times for my friends, homework, exercising, eating, practice, work, Netflix of course, and most importantly myself. My advice to my younger individuals is to maintain balance, you will not get it right the first time; it takes practice, but it is not impossible. Good luck to you all, and have a blessed and balanced life.