Back to School Edition #2:
Coursework or Video Games?
So your adult child is registered for some college classes this semester, and you may be anxiously wondering how they are going to do on their own. You’ve pushed your “baby bird” out of the nest, and it can be tempting to hover a bit to see how well they fly. Yet if they’re anything like most college students, a phone call or reminder from home is usually met with an eye roll and some empty promises. Then they get back to sleeping in late, binge-watching Netflix, hanging out with friends, or un-pausing their game of Fortnite.
We all know as adults that there are endless distractions in today’s world, and if we’re honest, we probably did our fair share of procrastinating in college, too. We also probably know someone who took a little longer than expected because they had to repeat a few classes to get credit. Some of us are better equipped than others at putting aside the distractions and buckling down to get the work done on time, and it’s difficult for any young adult to strike the right balance between work and play.
One tip that is often overlooked is the importance of environment for our mental focus, and different environments work for different people. For me, the university library had too many people and too high of an expectation for silence for me to successfully study. Yet my dorm room had a lot of temptation to put off my assignments. In law school, most of my friends did the bulk of their studying in a variety of coffee shops instead. That was an improvement over the library or the dorm room for me, but still wasn’t quite the right fit.
I wish that I had had a quiet, organized, and clean place that was still comfortable enough for me to grab a cup of coffee or a snack while I got my work done. I would have loved to stop by there after class, put in a couple of hours of work, and then feel free to enjoy myself with friends without the guilt of procrastination hanging over my head. I wish I had been able to discuss assignments with a “sounding board” who wasn’t too focused on their own work to give me the assistance or advice I was looking for. In short, I wish I had had the Segue Center.
With our flexible schedule, we can be a “home away from home” where participants can head over before or after class and put in some work in an environment designed to help them succeed. There is always a quiet spot away from distractions where they can work independently (even if programming is going on in another part of the center), and there is always someone here who can provide some academic support as well. Plus, they can grab a coffee or a snack while they work in comfort.
Coursework or Fortnite? If you set yourself up for success at the Segue Center, you don’t have to choose.
– Kendall
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