Words of Wisdom: The Tempted or the Lure?

Finding a healthy balance between school and a social life may not be an easy task for many people at the best of times. Even Isabella Swan, from the Twilight saga, who transfers to a new school as a very private person, becomes both popular and enmeshed in a relationship with a dreamy vampire named Edward Cullen – she went from one extreme to the next. Which character best describes you, the tempted or the lure?

If the lure of friends, or a love interest/socializing weighs too heavily into your school equation, it might be wise to ask yourself: “How can I have a social life and still do well in school?”

Your pre-teen and teen years are some of the most exciting, especially if you were introduced to a new coven of people at your new junior high or high school. One could hardly blame you if you wanted to spend more time with your new friends than with your new assignments. However, having said that, resist that powerful urge and find a balance. Try to stay organized, if you are not already.

Organizing your life may contribute to keeping a healthy balance. Start by assigning certain times of the day for homework and studying, and other slots of time for family and friends. Be realistic and honest with yourself; create a schedule that you will actually follow. By keeping to the schedule, you will form healthy work habits. As an extra-added bonus, if you and your friends create similar schedules, you can co-ordinate your free time to mesh with theirs.

If you find that you are heading too far to either extreme, create a schedule that may help you easily manage your homework and social life. This schedule may evolve; fine tune and tweak your schedule until it works for you. Getting into a routine should keep life flowing smoothly.

Over the past decade or so, I have known students who have been at various locations of the school-social life continuum – some students chose to completely immerse themselves in academics, while others chose to all but abandon school for a wild social life. Being at either extreme is not healthy, so a balance must be struck.

In addition to organizing your life, stay away from vampires since their homework habits bite.