As an incoming freshman one of the hardest things at UW-Madison is balance. We are among the top 50 universities in the nation and ranked even higher for our research department, but as all of you already know, we are also the top party school in the nation. Over the years I have seen so many classmates flunk out or lose track of their future because of their night lives. The best way to stay out of the “partying rut” is a plan.
What I mean by plan is knowing how to say no. Get a planner at the beginning of the year and manage your free time. It’s so easy to go out every night of the week and then two days before the exam realize how behind you are in the class. If you plan out a little bit each day and use your free time between classes, then you can REWARD yourself by going out with your friends. The downside is if you do not finish your work in time before your friends go out, then you have to stay in. Obviously there are exceptions and you don’t have to follow the itinerary word for word, but I’ve found that for studying, planning out and rewarding yourself is the most effective. Sticking to this plan made me work better with the time that I had and I also really cherished the nights I got to go out with my friends.
So, have a blast at this amazing University, but allow yourself enough time to study so that you can stay here and have the best four years of your entire life.
