Smash Bros vs School: Finding the Balance

[DarkBlueSpark]

This is pretty much directed at anyone who will be in high school in the future and anyone in the middle of high school right now.

So it's April, and by now, high school seniors in the US should have received college decisions. I haven't been going to school for the past couple of months (just how our school system works), and I've had some time to reflect on the past few years and what I'll be doing in the future, though to be honest I still have no idea. Recently while just browsing the web, such as random websites and Google Plus, I've noticed a lot of people asking about how they should balance playing video games and education and which should come first.

I know a lot of you will probably think of that question as ridiculous, but everyone has different priorities. As a high school senior about to graduate, I just wanted to put my thoughts out there, with memories still fresh in my mind.

Balancing free time and studying time can be difficult. Take it from me, someone who's been described as "obsessed with video games." But striking the balance so you can perform at your maximum potential is key. A lot of bookworms (I'm just kidding, don't take that term seriously) would say that studying 24/7 is the way to go. But I knew several kids who barely studied at all or would study and do their work the night before and they'd do perfectly fine on a project, assignment, or exam. Each person just works differently. Some need to constantly review the information while others can just chill and do perfectly fine as long as they see the material right before they're tested on it. If you're one of the latter, playing more video games than your peers is totally fine. It's just how you chill. If you're one of those people who study for weeks before your upcoming exam though, you might wanna shorten the amount of time you spend on your console of choice/PC. But don't ever put your focus on video games. You're going through high school to receive an education so you can either then get a job, or go on to college to receive a degree. You're there to learn. Sure, having fun is important obviously, but most people don't get through life just playing video games. Video games are a past time, a hobby. As a hobby, you can still compete in tournaments and make some money on the side. Maybe you can be the next Hungrybox or PPMD and make some serious coin while still maintaining a steady job. But to say that's difficult to achieve would be an understatement. You'd have to be seriously dedicated and a master at managing time. If you think you have what it takes, then go for it. Follow what your heart says. But never forget your priorities.

I saw another very similar question that asked about balancing video games with school and... family. I mean, c'mon, how is that even a question? Your family always comes first. Again, I cannot stress this enough: while many people have become professional players, it's not exactly a steady source of income (talking about Smash Bros). You go to high school to get an education so you can find that job that will net you a steady source of income and your family will always be there to support you. You can't put video games in front of your family, how could you even do something like that? When things just aren't going right for you, family is always there. And when you accomplish something, your family is there to celebrate with you.


Sorry if it sounds like I've been all over the place/ranting or that I'm against video games. Addressing the former, I'm tired, it's late, and I wanted to get this off my mind. In response to the latter, no I'm not against video games. I love playing video games, so many of them constitute my childhood memories and playing them with my friends tightened our bonds. But I did well in school because I quickly found out that I needed to find the right balance between schoolwork and playing video games. Not to mention all the extracurriculars you might partake in, like sports or music or community service organizations.

TL;DR: Family and education come before video games. Find the right balance of time between studying and playing video games where you perform the best in school.

 

[Mrs. Bahamut]

My husband and I were pretty big gamers while in high school. Our passion for Smash made us both realize we were going to be together for life. In college, it didn't die down much, but there was a tiny decline because of our desire to pursue a higher level of education. But once we became Moderators for Smashboards, the gaming habits was at an all time high for us both. I graduated and got a job and that's when my gaming came to a halt. I had to provide for us (as you stated, very important) and my job was super intense. Eventually, I went to grad school and started back up briefly. Baha got into medical school and that's when his gaming time took a pretty big hit. And then we had a kiddo...while both in school! And boom, just like that, our game time went to almost zero. (As well as our Smashboards time!) However, now that he and I have our careers under control and Mini Baha is almost 5 years old, our gamer status is back up and running. We usually have a game on at least every day and our little guy is picking up Smash and Mario Maker, as well. Being a gamer will, for most people, come and go depending on what life throws at them. But just know that if you wander away from gaming and Smash, you'll most likely find yourself coming back years later.

 

[Chainz]

In college, it didn't die down much, but there was a tiny decline because of our desire to pursue a higher level of education.

How did you balanced your school work with smash? Did you play everyday after doing homework? Or did you only play on weekends?

 

[Deleted member]

I played all the time, and procrastinated homework/projects, which i regretted later lol

 

[Teran]

Do you your homework and assignments first, then what you have left is free time. It really is that simple, but it's something so few of us mastered as teenagers. I sure didn't LOL

The struggle is real, you just have to realise that Smash games that aren't Melee will have their peak and decline (and even the latter will have that issue imo), you'll move onto the next game at some point, and may even find you don't like it. Then what? Smash is no longer a big part of your life! Basically, Smash is unlikely to be a cornerstone of your life in the long run (and trust me, time only speeds up as you age, so start thinking about the long term), but life is something that you don't just move on from.

Well I mean you do when you die, but I hope you have a long, healthy, and happy life; which usually happens when you build a stable future for yourself.

Edit: Now this may seem strange coming from me looking at my post count, but I assure you most of those were just spam in a time when the boards were really active and there were certain rooms that had no rules against such things. Wow I set such a terrible example in every regard LOL

 

[ZafKiel]

I rarely get to play Smash as it is and I wish I could play more but I do agree, family and education come first. The most I can do is lurk Smashboards and analyze tons of footage (like a lot, I go through VGBootCamp whenever I have free time to make up for me not playing). It's really hard at times because I'm still trying to find a proper character to play.

Smash will always be there but time for family and friends and general things in life that really matter will not.

 

[Mrs. Bahamut]

How did you balanced your school work with smash? Did you play everyday after doing homework? Or did you only play on weekends?

We played Smash maybe twice a week and then other games, too. We played games at least once a day in college. Now it's about twice a week for gaming. But the games vary quite a bit. Usually Mini Baha is the one that determines what we play. XD

 

[Chainz]

We played Smash maybe twice a week and then other games, too. We played games at least once a day in college. Now it's about twice a week for gaming. But the games vary quite a bit. Usually Mini Baha is the one that determines what we play. XD

Did you guys ever traveled out of town for tournaments? Or did you only play with each other?

 

[DarkBlueSpark]

My husband and I were pretty big gamers while in high school. Our passion for Smash made us both realize we were going to be together for life. In college, it didn't die down much, but there was a tiny decline because of our desire to pursue a higher level of education. But once we became Moderators for Smashboards, the gaming habits was at an all time high for us both. I graduated and got a job and that's when my gaming came to a halt. I had to provide for us (as you stated, very important) and my job was super intense. Eventually, I went to grad school and started back up briefly. Baha got into medical school and that's when his gaming time took a pretty big hit. And then we had a kiddo...while both in school! And boom, just like that, our game time went to almost zero. (As well as our Smashboards time!) However, now that he and I have our careers under control and Mini Baha is almost 5 years old, our gamer status is back up and running. We usually have a game on at least every day and our little guy is picking up Smash and Mario Maker, as well. Being a gamer will, for most people, come and go depending on what life throws at them. But just know that if you wander away from gaming and Smash, you'll most likely find yourself coming back years later.

That's really cool that gaming brought you together! I often marvel how just doing what you like and partaking in your hobbies lets you meet with so many like minded people, people who you can become lifelong friends with. But you and your husband knew how important an education is, which is fantastic. Gaming's one of my favorite hobbies and I'm planning on going to medical school myself in the future. I'll definitely be sad that it's a hobby that'll have to be put on hold for awhile, but I know I'll be able to go back it someday, my love for gaming will never die. Cute kid btw, hope he gets to experience games as great as the ones we've gotten to play so far

I rarely get to play Smash as it is and I wish I could play more but I do agree, family and education come first. The most I can do is lurk Smashboards and analyze tons of footage (like a lot, I go through VGBootCamp whenever I have free time to make up for me not playing). It's really hard at times because I'm still trying to find a proper character to play.

Smash will always be there but time for family and friends and general things in life that really matter will not.

I get the struggle, I think I went for months just watching videos of Smash 4 and messing around with a ton of characters before I finally chose a main haha. Exactly, you pretty much stated it perfectly. Smash will always be there, but time for our loved ones and what really matters will not.

Do you your homework and assignments first, then what you have left is free time. It really is that simple, but it's something so few of us mastered as teenagers. I sure didn't LOL

The struggle is real, you just have to realise that Smash games that aren't Melee will have their peak and decline (and even the latter will have that issue imo), you'll move onto the next game at some point, and may even find you don't like it. Then what? Smash is no longer a big part of your life! Basically, Smash is unlikely to be a cornerstone of your life in the long run (and trust me, time only speeds up as you age, so start thinking about the long term), but life is something that you don't just move on from.

Well I mean you do when you die, but I hope you have a long, healthy, and happy life; which usually happens when you build a stable future for yourself.

Edit: Now this may seem strange coming from me looking at my post count, but I assure you most of those were just spam in a time when the boards were really active and there were certain rooms that had no rules against such things. Wow I set such a terrible example in every regard LOL

I won't lie, I'm guilty of that as well lmao. I often got distracted by video games while doing homework or I'd finish studying or finish my homework but then I'd stay up for hours playing games and I'd be so tired the next day. I've gotten a bit better with controlling my focus. I did end up doing well in school so I guess everything turned out okay. You can't let video games control your life, an addiction like that can be pretty bad, mostly because of how much time it uses up.

 

[Mrs. Bahamut]

Did you guys ever traveled out of town for tournaments? Or did you only play with each other?

We went out of town for a few but we were broke college students so it was never too far and never too often.

That's really cool that gaming brought you together! I often marvel how just doing what you like and partaking in your hobbies lets you meet with so many like minded people, people who you can become lifelong friends with. But you and your husband knew how important an education is, which is fantastic. Gaming's one of my favorite hobbies and I'm planning on going to medical school myself in the future. I'll definitely be sad that it's a hobby that'll have to be put on hold for awhile, but I know I'll be able to go back it someday, my love for gaming will never die. Cute kid btw, hope he gets to experience games as great as the ones we've gotten to play so far

Good luck with your endeavors! The medical school route is a rough one but it is possible...even with a family. Gaming will always be there for a good stress relief, as well.

 

[NekoTony]

I bring my 3ds to school so instead of balancing, I improvise...

 

[Nick DePaul]

Amazing post DarkBlueSpark had fun reading it. im in 10th grade and everyday HW all day nearly and always get homework during the weekend so I can never play video games despite my Dad believing im obsessed too [looks like we have more in common than I thought ] so I can never play andeven less buy new games at Gamestop. Curse my life

 

[saladtossfalcon]

My Wii is broken and my mom sold the GameCube, so about 2-3 days out of the week I'll go to one of my friend's houses and play smash for like 3 hours. I'm one of those people who does their work usually last minute. And I do fine, I'm set for all honors and AP next year

 

[CalamitySB]

Smash is a hobby like video games in general. Enjoy them when you can without forcing yourself too. Games will be around for as long as you are (Unless something unfortunate happens), so focus on what's important now instead of on what will always be around.

A.K.A Life is a pain, deal with that, then try to alleviate yourself with whatever you chose to. The balance will come naturally since it's just a part of life. I really hate saying that because it's very vague to someone who asks the question, but I don't want to lie.

 

[DarkBlueSpark]

Good luck with your endeavors! The medical school route is a rough one but it is possible...even with a family. Gaming will always be there for a good stress relief, as well.

Thank you! I expect it to be tough, but I plan on giving it my all.

Amazing post DarkBlueSpark had fun reading it. im in 10th grade and everyday HW all day nearly and always get homework during the weekend so I can never play video games despite my Dad believing im obsessed too [looks like we have more in common than I thought ] so I can never play andeven less buy new games at Gamestop. Curse my life

Thanks! I know what that's like. It's difficult, but you just have to wait for those breaks to come. Just focus on your work and get some game time in when you need to relax a bit. Everyone needs a break, no one's a machine. I often tried to finish my homework or studying as early as possible so that I could play at night. I tried to not play on weekdays though (besides Friday), just a habit my parents got me into.

Get ready for 11th grade. I know 10th grade seems like a lot, but 11th grade is going to involve much more work, considering you'll probably be taking a lot of standardized tests then).

My Wii is broken and my mom sold the GameCube, so about 2-3 days out of the week I'll go to one of my friend's houses and play smash for like 3 hours. I'm one of those people who does their work usually last minute. And I do fine, I'm set for all honors and AP next year

Yup, I knew a lot of people like that. That's just how some people roll, and it works fine for them. I personally would almost never be able to function like that, mostly because if I'm not studying or doing my work ahead of time, I'd just be worrying about not getting it done in time.

Smash is a hobby like video games in general. Enjoy them when you can without forcing yourself too. Games will be around for as long as you are (Unless something unfortunate happens), so focus on what's important now instead of on what will always be around.

A.K.A Life is a pain, deal with that, then try to alleviate yourself with whatever you chose to. The balance will come naturally since it's just a part of life. I really hate saying that because it's very vague to someone who asks the question, but I don't want to lie.

Nah, I agree. I guess you could say it's vague, but everyone has different situations. But yes, like you said, Smash is a hobby. It's a game that will always be around unless an unfortunate circumstance arises. It's not something you absolutely need, but it's nice to just sit down sometimes to play a few matches of Smash to let the stress out. But you need to be aware of other pressing matters.