UNI: Striking a balance

Who says you can't have a life if you're in engineering? It really boils down to what you want? Super busy social life? Or GPA 6.0?
Either way, I believe that too much of something isn't good so here are some tips that I believe you should consider when it comes to having a balanced uni life.

Overloading CCAs

It's a rookie mistake, especially for freshies. Try not to whack 10+ CCAs....because chances are you'll not be able to manage your studies well. Instead, you can just apply for 1 or 2 CCAs that you wish to try out to find your passion.

Apply to those CCAs that you feel wouldn't require a lot of time and energy commitment.

I personally would suggest those bi-weekly/events commitment kinds of CCAs because you'll have more time for yourself.

Do look at your Faculty Student Clubs because that is one of the best ways to make friends with peers from the same course, or even your module profs too! And I find that student-faculty clubs aligns their event and commitments according to the faculty. So chances are, you don't have to worry about having events clashing with your studies.

Outside commitments

Consider signing up for clubs outside of school! It'll definitely broaden your perspective and it might even build your character.

I am currently volunteering in 2 organizations outside of NTU! And it's nice to interact with students from different institutions.

GPA isn't everything

This is a bit of controversial advice because it depends on what you want to achieve out of uni. While GPA gets you certain opportunities that others don't, you need to know that it isn't the end of the world if your GPA drops by 0.01

Building meaningful friendships provides you other things that GPA alone can't provide. A supportive group of people can save your mental health and motivate you over the long run.

Spending time with your loved ones helps you to practice mindfulness which results in the practice of gratitude. Personally, this was a life changer and it gave me the extra strength to preserve through tough times. 




Here is a simple flowchart that I currently use to help me establish goals and actions to take to achieve them. (it isn't the best, so you can explore other goal-setting templates online like SMART)

Here's an example of how to use the flow chart: 


What is your goal? 
- Achieve an A-grade for Thermodynamics

Why do I plan on achieving it? 
- Boost/Maintain my GPA
- A strong background in thermodynamics will help me with my FYP, and subsequently my role as a process engineer in the industry

How will I know if I've reached my goals?
- Besides seeing my final grades after exams, I can gauge my understanding of the module through my mid-term results/able to attempt my tutorial practices with minimal help
- Understanding what the content is taught in class/after revision

Factors that might be stopping me from achieving my goals?
- (INTERNAL) I might get demoralized by the content workload
- (INTERNAL) Lack of confidence from being unable to solve tutorial practices as correctly as my peers
- (INTERNAL) My fundamentals in physics/math might not be good enough, so I might face quite a lot of problems with understanding the contents taught
- (EXTERNAL) I might not have a lot of time to study for this module, because other commitment matters too

Actions I can take to mitigate the factors?
- (INTERNAL) I need to spend some time to acknowledge that university isn't easy. The intense workload is a reflection of how important the module is. Modules like thermodynamics cannot be overly simplified, otherwise, the concepts will be misunderstood too.
- (INTERNAL) This lack of confidence stems from comparison. And it usually comes from the comparison with your genius friends. We need to acknowledge that everyone is learning at their own pace. 
- (INTERNAL) Bring out my math/physics notes from previous semesters, and bring them with me to class/tutorials/revision.
- (EXTERNAL) What are the other commitments? Does another commitment align with my university goal? Can I juggle these commitments? If not, then I MUST decide for myself which commitment do I value the most?

What are some support available to help me achieve my goals?
- Religion 
- Peer-Tutoring Programmes
- Bribing (with food) my genius friends to teach me
- Youtube Channels that are good at explaining difficult concepts

Are my goals achievable/practical?
With all things considered. Does achieving an A-grade for thermodynamics sound possible?


                _________________________________________________________________________________



At the end of the day. I feel that we don't actually desire a high GPA nor do we wish to be popular at school.

What we all might truly desire. Is to be acknowledged. But who do we seek acknowledgement from? Do they matter to us as much as we matter to them?








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