Many students have heard the same advice over and over again. That you must find a balance between school work, a social life and meeting your human needs. But how can a student really find this seemingly fictional balance?

Many students are feeling pressure surrounding academic achievement all around them from their parents, teachers and often the most pressure comes from themselves. This pressure can be beneficial at the right times, when the student is able to utilise it as motivation, but it can also feel debilitating and limit the students success. A fine balance must be achieved but managing the pressure and expectations to be reasonable. This means to aim high within a realistic goal.

Students feel pressure not only academically but also socially. FOMO – an acronym that stands for Fear Of Missing Out. This fear is common within students as friendships changes and people grow the social circles that where once comfortable feel smaller so students are further pressured to fit in. When a student makes a choice to not participate socially they are often left with FOMO, this is further exacerbated through social media. The student is then able to see ‘all the things they missed out on.’ This unhealthy dynamic causes students to imbalance their lives and focus on their social lives over other aspects.

Prioritising physical and mental wellbeing is often unsaid when talking about balance as it is usually a given. However, times such as the HSC when stress is often extremely high for students. Physical and mental health is often neglected. Staying active is extremely important and taking breaks to eat high nutritional meals is vital for a balanced academic lifestyle. Taking a short walk, standing up and stepping away from work is often the simplest yet most effective solution for students who are struggling.

Balance is about finding things that work for you and a guide that seems perfect may not always adhere to what the student truely needs.

Olivia Moustakis