By Alizabeth Meadows
Hello!
Welcome back to the ASU Student Blog, and thank you for choosing to read my post!!
Today, I’ll be talking about what I do outside of class, and how I balance school life and non-school life (is that even a word/term?).
Beyond my school life, I read, I write, and I love listening to/playing music. Regrettably, since joining ASUPD, I have not been able to play many instruments or join bands. Hopefully, when I go back to in-person schooling, I’ll be able to. Most of the time, however, when I’m done with schoolwork for the day, I either read or draw/color to take my mind off my schoolwork and grades. Usually, I love reading older books (like Edgar Allan Poe, Little House on the Prairie, and Anne of Green Gables), mystery books, or thrillers! I will read and read for hours on end! Or some days, I’m feeling really creative, and I start writing a rough draft for a new short story. Usually, I don’t ever edit these rough drafts or go anywhere with them, since I cannot publish them, but I enjoy writing them. I save them for later.
To me, this is important because the things I do make me who I am. I am a creative person. I love reading new things, learning new things, and I love creating stories so that I can help encourage others to become more creative and enjoy reading more, especially in this day and age where everything is online!
Outside of ASUPD, I don’t really do much. I am more of a stay-at-home person who reads and writes. I am the writer in the dark room, plotting new stories! Lately, I have taken more to writing stories, since in my English class we’ve had more fictional projects. I have decided to pursue a career in storytelling/writing, becoming an author (I know, I said that in such a long way!), and I have just been staring off into space, or sitting with my notepad on my knee and a pen in hand, thinking of stories! I do this almost every day, after, before, or during school! This adds meaning to my life because, like I said above, I am a very creative person, and without writing and creating stories, I’d feel empty. I love staring off into space, thinking up new ideas to share with others.
Reading, to me, is almost just as important as writing. I love sitting and reading a little bit more than actually writing stories. Reading is my life. I grew up with books, and I slowly grew to love them more and more. Each book is its own adventure, taking you all around the world. You learn new things and see and hear new things! Books are a big part of who I am. I will always, always choose reading and writing over watching TV and playing video games. I do it every day, and without books, I’d be lost.
Here’s the big question most students ask themselves: how do I balance school and my hobbies?
It depends on the person, to be perfectly honest! Everyone finds it differently. They have to struggle in their own way to find out what works for them. It isn’t going to take a day to figure out how to balance; it takes a few weeks, maybe even a few months!
For me, I create to-do lists. To-do lists help me remember what exactly I need to do for each day and each week. This helps me with school to stay on top of all my assignments and keep track. But don’t think that to-do lists are only for school!! You can use them anywhere, anyplace, for anything. You can use them when doing chores, signing up for clubs—anything, really!
Being at ASUPD helps give more time to do all your hobbies. You can do your homework at any time, any way you want, and you can shift your hobbies around a bit. It definitely helps being at ASUPD, since it gives you more time for yourself and a more flexible schedule.
Remember, always remember, that your life outside of school matters too. School will help you get your future started, but remember that you are also in the present as well. You have to build your interests, explore your likes and dislikes, and find a way to make it all fit. You don’t have to rush and rush and rush to get it all done. You can take your time, do it slowly, and enjoy it. It shouldn’t be a chore or job; it should be something you love.
Thank you for reading this post!
I hope it helps you, and I hope you enjoyed it!!
Alizabeth M
