DarkBlueSpark
Smash Journeyman
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2014
- Messages
- 271
- 3DS FC
- 0920-2076-2551
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.
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.