Partaking in extracurriculars is essential for a balanced life
By JENA TUFAIL — jjtufail@ucdavis.edu
Looking back on my first year at UC Davis, I realize that I did absolutely nothing besides school work, hanging out with friends and surviving. My life revolved around academics and nothing else.
For me, it has become increasingly difficult to separate my academics from the rest of my daily life, and as a result, I haven’t taken up any hobbies.
I remember being in elementary school and having an immense amount of different activities. From horseback riding to school clubs, to reading and more, I had the time to pick up and do anything I wanted when I was younger. However, when I entered high school and then college, it became much more difficult to fit hobbies into my schedule — and sometimes I don’t even feel like I have the energy to do something fun outside of school.
I’ve recently realized, however, how important hobbies are in college. They offer a way to relieve stress by taking your mind off of school and help break up work by creating time to do something that you enjoy.
They can also help you develop new skills, improve your efficiency, enhance your creativity, better your time management and patience and so much more.
The lucky few can find a job or major that combines their passions with work, but that’s not the case for most of us. It is important to experiment and try new things until you find something you truly enjoy.
This past year, I have tried to revert back to activities I used to like when I was younger. When I was a kid, I found that it was sometimes hard to commit to a hobby for a long time. Because of this, I would try a new activity for a few months and then switch it up. I have been adhering to this pattern over the last year as well. For example, in winter and spring, I taught myself to crochet and knit again, whereas in the summer I read books and drew.
The number of potential hobbies is endless. Just remember, it’s just as important to avoid burnout from your hobbies as it is to not get burnt out from your classes.
It can be difficult working non-stop towards your goals in college, so it’s important to have a way to take a step back and relieve your stress through a hobby. We don’t want the same routine to define the rest of our time at Davis. Break up your days by including a hobby and see how much more productive you can be when you’re not just focused on your academic and social life.
Written by: Jena Tufail — jjtufail@ucdavis.edu
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