College Sex: Your Guide to Balancing Your Social/Love Life With Studies

College is a time of change, growth, excitement, and self-discovery. However, it can also be a very hectic time, and the stress and pressure can be overwhelming. This is especially true when you add in love, sex, and relationships. How can you juggle all of these interests without failing at school…or love? Consider the following:

Be careful of your priorities. There is an old saying that goes: Never make someone a priority who only makes you an option. Nothing could be truer when it comes to young love. Now is the time when you need to focus on schoolwork, friends, and expanding your horizon. You don’t want to look back at college and realize that you wasted time moping because some guy didn’t call you or because your ex cheated on you. Sure, those things are painful, and you have every right to feel upset and angry. But, ultimately, those aren’t going to be the experiences that define your existence or your college life. You want to look back and remember four years of learning, excitement, and passion — not four years of crying in your dorm room. Bottom line: get out and don’t let college pass you by!

Find people who share your interests. The best way to juggle love and school responsibilities is to combine the two! Instead of meeting people at a bar where you’re likely to have too much to drink, why not talk to the cute guy in your class? Or, better yet, sign up for a club or a volunteer organization that speaks to your interests, whether it is writing for the school paper or joining a clean-water initiative. Not only will you broaden your horizons and hone your skills, you will be able to meet people who share similar interests and passions. Talk about a win-win!

Don’t overschedule yourself. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the options and opportunities that are made available to you in college. From all the different classes to the myriad of social organizations, it can be easy to find yourself in over your head. Limit yourself to one or two social commitments a semester, whether that is working for your sorority’s charity board or volunteering at the local blood bank. You should also try to make your workload as flexible as possible. For instance, if you are working while you are in school, you might consider getting a job at the library or the front desk of your residence hall. These jobs allow plenty of downtime, meaning you can study in the quiet hours and get some work done while still earning some extra cash.

Listen to your heart. Do you really want to join a sorority, or are you only doing it because your mom and your older sister did? Make sure that you aren’t committing yourself to extras such as this just because you feel you have to. Your health and happiness have to come first, and if you are overworked and spending time and energy on things you don’t really love, it’s going to take a toll on your spirit (and your grades).

Most importantly, make sure that you are enjoying yourself and that you stop to smell the roses. College flies by in an instant, and if you don’t pause to enjoy it every now and then, you won’t get to relish this special time!