Everyone may be aware of the phrase ‘work without play makes a dull person’. This statement is especially true for learners, whether in kindergarten, middle school, high school, or the students in college.
Students need adequate free time to develop their talents and advance in other crucial extracurricular activities outside the classroom.
There is a popular myth, especially among people that have not yet attended college, that there is no free time in college. Such people assume that students in colleges are always learning in classrooms, alone, or in groups.
However, is this statement true? Do college students have free time? Please read this article to find out more on this issue.
Do College Students Have Free Time?
Students in college have adequate free time to engage in activities other than studying. On a standard weekday, it is estimated that a full-time college student spends approximately eight hours sleeping, about three and a half hours on class work, and approximately two hours working.
Therefore, most of these students are left with about three to five hours of free time to engage in their varying leisure activities. During weekends, college students do not attend classes, and they, therefore, have all the free time they need to spend in whatever way they find best.
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Nevertheless, different college students engage in various activities inside and outside the classroom. Therefore, the amount of free time that some students enjoy is not equal of others.
Several factors that affect the amount of leisure time college students enjoy include; the number and type of classes, levels of understanding (fast or slow learners), time management capabilities, and outside responsibilities such as parenting or part-time work.
Despite the factors that affect leisure time, as mentioned above, it is vital to note that each college student has adequate free time. Therefore, the only difference comes in how they spend their leisure time.
What College Students Do in Their Free Time
As mentioned earlier, students in college enjoy approximately three to five hours of leisure time on weekdays and more hours of free time on weekends.
With such an amount of time in their hands and plenty of choices on how to spend it, college students spend their free time in the following ways;
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Working Out
A few students in college understand the importance of fitness and general body health. Such students spend their free time conducting different forms of physical exercise such as enrolling in a gym, morning and evening jogging, yoga, swimming, or unprofessional sporting.
Studies indicate that 53 percent of students work out to enhance their looks in their best years. Keeping fit improves their concentration levels and ends up boosting their overall productivity.
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Following Up with Hobbies
College provides students with multiple options in hobbies and extracurricular activities in which they can engage.
For example, students with a passion for sporting activities take up soccer, rugby, tennis, hockey, swimming, and athletics in their free time.
Others use their leisure time to learn desired skills and languages, play musical instruments, play video games, or go outdoor activities such as bike riding and hiking.
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Socializing
In college, you meet all kinds of people with different kinds of backgrounds. Here, many great minds and talents from different parts of the world meet.
Therefore, students spend their leisure time socializing with their friends, networking and making new friends, attending parties, and creating unforgettable memories.
Socializing is best done during weekends when the students do not have classes and assignments to attend to.
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Scrolling through social media
Many people have been glued to their cell phones in recent years like never before. Unfortunately, college students are not left behind.
The average amount of time college students spend on their phones scrolling through social media is more than other people.
Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms among college students.
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Volunteer Activities
Different colleges have multiple clubs and societies as well as welfare groups. Students in such clubs and welfare groups conduct many volunteer activities in the neighboring communities or within the college.
These volunteer activities include cleaning up, visiting and helping the disadvantaged, holding peace rallies, or conducting training camps. Participating in volunteer activities is self-satisfying, and it makes the students feel more valuable in society.
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Working
There is a popular notion that college students are always broke. This statement may be true because the students are always in constant need of stationery, books, food, and other fun activities. As such, some students spend their free time working to earn some extra money.
Such students work part-time as lecturer assistants, restaurant waiters, or departmental store attendants. As mentioned earlier, college students spend approximately two hours working.
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Personal Studying
There are different college students, and some are usually pretty concerned about their grades. Such students spend most of their leisure time in the college library or locked in their rooms buried in their books.
There is a significant proportion of such in all colleges.
Conclusion
So, do college students have free time? After reading this article thoroughly, there is no doubt that college students have ample leisure time. The only difference between these students is how each utilizes their free time.
As a college student, ensure that you are active enough in your college life by using your free time to engage in positively-impacting activities. In addition, ensure to have fun and create unforgettable memories.