<p>Hi,
I’m an Asian student, a typical one in that, as you can guess, I spend most of my time struggling with schoolwork and seemingly insurmountable exams. And now my high school life has ended before I even know it.
I got accepted to a fine liberal arts college in America. While the fall semester schedule seems much more forgiving than that of my high school, I hear from seniors that a lot of self-study is required. So it comes down to the question of how to balance my time.
Therefore I want to ask: how much time do you spend, at college, on sports, hobbies and ECs in a week? Do you also take online courses? There are many things that I love to know more about: guitar, psychology, philosophy, presentation skills, … Yet I wonder if 4 years at college are the right time to pursue my hobby, or should I instead focus on preparing for internships and getting high scores for a nice resume, given the increasingly competitive market nowadays?</p>
<p>Thanks very much.</p>
<p>So my freshman year, I had 16 hours in the fall and spring. Also, I was in part of around 5 student organizations. At most, there was 3 meetings in a week I was invited to attend.I spent an average of 3-5 hours on a weekday working on academic related work. I set myself also 2 hours of a daily minimum to review/study for classes. Any leftover free time, I set it to either attend those meetings or pursue my hobbies. </p>
<p>That’s the gist of what I did. Personally, I have no opinion regarding the last question you asked. Sorry. </p>
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<p>The answer to this is yes in my opinion. What’s the point of having a well paying job if you aren’t happy?</p>
<p>Ideally, you should find a way to integrate your academic pursuits and career with your passions. If you can’t, make sure you always set aside time yourself at every point in your life, not just college. Set aside a block of time every day/week/month, however you want to organize it. Make it time for yourself, and choose what you want to use it for. You won’t be able to do everything you want, but you will be able to do some. You’ll have to choose which ones you really want to do, and do em.</p>
<p>I would recommend at least 4 hours a week at the minimum. I think I have about 14 right now and in the past year or so. This will continue into college.</p>
<p>Honestly, I realized early in my life that whatever you are doing during the week, you have to make time, regardless of the circumstances. Afterwards, you will feel alot more relaxed during the week.</p>
<p>Setting aside that one or two hours during the day to enjoy yourself is important. In college, you will have free time as long as you keep a balanced schedule. Sometimes it is a choice whether to dedicate it to yourself in something you enjoy, or spend it with friends socializing, a club you joined, or studying. I’d say even at the most rigorous colleges this is true.</p>
<p>It’s not just about continuing your passion in college, it’s about doing it in life.</p>