The most radical thing is the everyday

Students know good life. I still remember those days of learning new exciting things without forgetting the parties every once in the while. I felt invincible. Many open doors and possibilities felt the best I have ever experienced. I for instance went studying abroad three times, worked, found my current wife and made plenty of new friends. But… Life is complex – so is a life of a student. Formula that worked for me does not necessarily work for you but perhaps you can relate to it anyways and use pieces of it.

In order to finish the studies many skills are needed and they often have something to do with your skills to balance and endure the everyday life. Setting goals help you see where you want to be later. All day party does not help you further in life. All day studying and working can cause some of us a burnout – I am pretty sure you don´t want that either. Therefore finding the balance is important.

Studying is not just an isolated part of life. It is good time to learn to know yourself – how do you learn new things best? When do you do your tasks most efficiently? How do you cope with stress? How much excercise and sleep do you need on weekdays in order to stay focused? What you cook, eat and when? What are the priorities in your life – washing the laundry, studying, dating or going out with friends? How to finance the studies? The list is long. You have to find the answers suitable for you and make decisions – unfortunately you cannot have all you want- at least not at once – you have to prioritize and make plans to get where you want to be. My experience is – if you find suitable routine while you are studying it makes you endure the pressure of working life later on.

Partying is easy. Finding the right balance on everyday life is the most radical thing. As one student put it – managing the week from monday to friday is the hard part. Weekends he can handle.

Hannu Järvistö
Writer is the executive director of JAMKO