Finding the Right Balance
It is finally spring! The weather is getting warmer and days are getting longer. It is also closing in on the final few weeks of the semester, those final weeks where students have their last chances to boost their grades. It is a constant struggle to enjoy the weather and find the time to complete schoolwork, but Housatonic students are doing their best to find the right balance.
Housatonic student Sidney Rodriguez is a person who loves the outdoors but also needs to take extra time to boost his grades these next few weeks.
Hiking is just one activity students do to enjoy the spring weather. (Photo by author)
“I want to go out and do things with my friends but I also really need to study each day,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez thinks he’s found a solution that works best for him when it comes to getting his grades up and enjoying the outdoors.
“I spend at least an hour a day either playing basketball, or going to the beach before coming home and getting all of my schoolwork done for the next day,” he said.
This helps keep Rodriguez balanced on the weekdays, but on the weekends, he likes to utilize a bit more free time.
“I keep a few extra hours available on the weekends to go out and have fun. I usually have less schoolwork to do anyway,” he said.
Housatonic student Ludo Barnum values his schoolwork more than his free time.
“I make sure that I get all of my schoolwork done before going out or doing anything else,” Barnum said.
This does not mean that Barnum spends all his time doing schoolwork. He still gets out and enjoys some free time.
“I like to go hiking at East Rock in New Haven. It is a good way for me to relieve stress and forget about school for a little while,” he said.
Esteban Tafoya, another another HCC student, prefers to use his free time for school work, but not for the same reason.
“I don’t really appreciate the surroundings of where I live so I choose to spend more of my time doing school work,”Tafoya said.
Tafoya does get out and enjoy the weather, when it is warm, and on weekends. This gives him a few days to put his studies on the side burner.
“On the weekends, I get a group of friends together, and we play football or ultimate frisbee,” he said.