Maintaining good grades and a social life is… hard. This challenge only gets more complicated around February, a time when everybody appears to be either locking themselves away to study for midterms or engaging in month-long Valentine’s celebrations with their partner. While you may be tempted to join one of those groups, at this time of year, it’s more important than ever to keep a healthy balance between your school life and love life. Curious about how to do that? We’ve got a few ideas. Take the quiz below to discover which of our three strategies would work best for you.
What’s your go-to study spot?
- Williams Fresh Cafe
- The quiet floors of Dana Porter
- My room
When do you and your partner usually spend time together?
- During the school day
- Whenever we find a bit of free time
- It totally depends — sometimes mornings, sometimes evenings
How similar are your goals after graduation?
- Pretty similar! We’re looking at the same career/graduate schools
- We’re pretty different, but excited to support each other
- Honestly, I’m not sure…
What’s your go-to activity after studying?
- Grabbing some food with my study group
- Studying takes up most of my time, so… sleeping?
- Texting/calling my partner or friends
What does your ideal date night look like?
- Dinner and a movie after lectures finish for the day
- Spending evenings together on the weekend
- I’m open to anything — dinner out, a game night, etc.
Outside of school, what activities are you involved in?
- I’m part of a few clubs on campus
- I have a part-time job
- My friends often drag me to events or exercise classes
Your partner wants to take you out for dinner on Friday, but you have an online quiz due that evening at 11:59 p.m. What do you do?
- You still have some revision to do for the quiz, so you ask your partner if they would be willing to run cue cards with you over dinner
- You look at your shared calendar and notice that you both have free time on Friday afternoon, so you suggest going out for lunch together instead
- You know it probably isn’t possible to fit in dinner and the quiz, so you call your partner right away to figure out another solution
Mostly 1 – Combine the best of both worlds
If you picked mostly 1, then it sounds like you’re someone who enjoys getting work done in a social setting. When it comes to a relationship, use this ability to your advantage! Maybe this means choosing a group study floor at Dana Porter, or bringing your readings along when you hit up your favourite cafe uptown. Use study breaks as an opportunity to go for a walk with your partner, or discuss your projects while you go out for a meal together. Just ensure that your partner can hold you accountable (and vice versa) for studying, so that you’re actually productive during your study dates. Also, try to make time for no-study dates, so that you don’t start to associate your partner with work!
Mostly 2 – Schedule, schedule, schedule!
Based on your answers, you’ve got quite a busy life. With so many responsibilities (whether it be school, work, athletics, or clubs), it can be easy to let relationships fall to the side. But being busy doesn’t mean you can’t have a love life! With the help of a good planner or online calendar (maybe even a collaborative one with your partner to coordinate schedules), it will be much easier to plan those dates you’ve been talking about. Even just grabbing a quick bite together between lectures can help you maintain a sense of balance in your day. Just remember to schedule time for yourself, too!
Mostly 3 – Communication is key
If you answered mostly 3, then you and your partner should focus on communicating as much as possible. Maybe you’re in a new relationship, or you haven’t quite figured out how dating works in university yet. In any case, make sure to talk regularly about your goals for yourself, your relationship, and your day-to-day life. This will allow you and your partner to decide how best to balance school and each other! Besides, brainstorming ways to spend time together outside of classes can be a fun activity in and of itself.
