The most important things to college students
Emma Ogren, Staff Writer
Graphic by Emma Ogren
College students juggle many important factors in their everyday lives. From relationships with others to focusing on themselves, students often have to decide what is the most important thing that they can spend the most time on. After discussing this question with many North Greenville University students, there are a few options that seem prevalent for many on campus.
Relationship with God
With the nature of NGU being a Christian school, many students have a large focus on their personal relationship with God. Whether students are in Christian studies or in areas of studies such as biology, many find that their relationship with God holds the most important space in their life.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths.”
Students take this to heart and tend to participate in church every Sunday, are a part of Bible study groups and take Christian studies classes to further their understanding of God.
Significant others
When I asked students with significant others this question, their main answer was their boyfriend or girlfriend. Melody Bard, who is a sophomore music education major said that her relationship gives her motivation to keep working hard and studying for her goals in the future.
“It gives me the balance between school and personal life that helps with time management,” she said.
Having a significant other in college means that there is a built-in support system for students, propelling them forward towards their goals.
Good grades
Having a high GPA and keeping up grades is an important aspect of student life. After all, most people go to college and complete their classes to get their degree. According to NGU’s financial aid page, about 90% of students receive scholarships and many of these depend on keeping high grades in order to continue using them. Having good grades is often a reflection of how much material is learned in a short amount of time and some students pride themselves on their knowledge and the calculation of it.
Sleep
It can be difficult to find time for yourself when the rotation is constantly classes, hanging out with friends and piles of homework. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) says that not getting enough sleep negatively impacts a student’s academic performance.
There are two features that go into this: sleep quantity and sleep quality. A student can’t only sleep eight hours a night, it has to be good restful sleep in order to continue functioning.
According to Clete A. Kushida, who is associate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University Medical Center, said, “There are data that sleep loss leads to learning and memory impairment, as well as decreased attention and vigilance.” This stresses the importance of sleep for college students.
Time management
Learning how to juggle all of these things is an important skill to learn before students step into the “real world.” All of these prior points students find integral to their lives, and some may not be able to pick just one to focus on. In these years, young adults have the time to find a balance between all these aspects. This means that they know when assignments are due and give themselves enough time to do it well. In this time, however, they also give themselves time to talk to God, their friends, their significant other and allow themselves to rest.
Taking these steps can lead to a more balanced lifestyle by dedicating time for both work and personal matters.
