By Susan Kemp
It’s usually around the beginning of week four fall quarter that reality finally hits. It’s not summer anymore. Then panic mode sets in. How is so much due already?
Sometimes, when we become so burnt out, finally indulging ourselves in our favorite distraction comes as too much of a relief. In my own memory of quarters past, I recall starting up World of Warcraft for a short break at 2 p.m. and finally taking note of my incessant yawning at a quarter past midnight.
Many gamers swear up and down that they’re handling it. I know because I was one of them. I got my four hours of sleep, handed in something that looked finished—sort of—and stared blankly at the slides featuring early Mayan art, making a mental note to read the chapter later when I could actually process information.
The second I got home from class I’d pass out on my bed, missing dinner again—forcing me to gather up Ramen and Ritz crackers when I’d finally wake up in the middle of the night. I obviously couldn’t work without light, but I quickly vowed to catch up on everything that weekend. I’d schedule every hour for the next week, including the 1.23 minutes necessary to consume a bowl of Fruit Loops while chugging down a Red Bull.
The problem with this strategy is that breaks are important. At some point pushing on and on for eight hours stops being productive and I start thinking about how tired I am, how long this is taking, and how my mom is going to kill me if I get a C in Drawing.
The thing I’ve learned during my time in college is there are some things that can be compromised and some things that cannot. Sleep and food cannot be sacrificed (and if they are, it should be as infrequently as possible). It’s amazing how much sleep can affect your attitude, your sense of motivation and even your relationships.
However, your hobbies don’t have to go completely out the window during college either. In fact, they can help make these four years more enjoyable. If there is an avid gamer in you, here are some suggestions:
- Play with a group of friends. Multi-player games (other than MMO’s) tend to have starting and stopping points. Play for a couple of hours on the Wii, then take the same group to Wallin to work on your Drawing homework together. Usually with more people there is a sense of accountability (eventually someone is going to point out that it’s been two hours and they really need to get some work done). If you do play an MMO, have a group of friends that are only going to level with each other.
- Use games as a reward. Instead of getting home from your last class and thinking “I’m just going to play a little first,” work first then promise yourself an hour or two to play your favorite game later. You’ll have a reason to get through that boring textbook. Plus, it’s easy to play a game when you’re getting tired, but it’s much harder to focus on something for class.
- Avoid games that have obligatory log-in times. It’s natural not to want to let people down, so I find it’s best not to put myself in that situation because inevitably I’m going to have a project that demands my time that night. I find at SCAD when I allot x amount of time for a project, it often takes much longer. It’s just part of being an artist. I hate turning in work that’s not up to par and the only solution is to put in the time.
It’s important to have interests. Future employers love to see it. But it’s also important with our crazy schedules to keep healthy. We can still enjoy our hobbies without allowing them to become just another stress factor.
