In every child’s learning journey, there are many things that students might have to give up on, in order to learn effectively. Though most students like to call them as “sacrifices” that they have had to make to get good grades, the term “trade-offs” would be much more suitable.
This is because, when we say that one has made a sacrifice, it implies that something that is lost can never be gained back. If it’s a trade-off, it implies that something had to be given away, but something else was gained in replacement of what was lost.
With a sacrifice, there is a sure loss, but with a trade-off, there is a gain. In an educational journey, students need to be able to prioritise and figure out what is most important. Some things need to be given away in order to gain what we want; this is inevitable because not everything will be hunky dory for us.
Here are some trade-offs that students might need to make in their journey in school and in university!
Socialising
Having a circle of friends, going out with them, spending time with loved ones and meeting new people are fun activities that youngsters love to engage in. The period of adolescence is the time in which we love to hang out in places, be a little rebellious and do things that our heart desires. All these activities are centred around the concept of socialising.
Basically, being young enables one to have so much of energy to interact and learn new things from new people in new environments. However, this needs to be done within limits because students who get addicted to this would end up not taking their studies seriously. Hence, cutting down on some time spent on socialising would go a long way in making more room for revision and practice in the day.
Sleep
Sleep is absolutely essential for everyone to function at their optimum. Hence, it is not advised for students to cut down on the hours they sleep and spend it on study sessions. Sleep aids in memory reinforcement and hence it is important to clock in sufficient number of hours.
Although many are aware of this fact, the first thing that students consider an excellent trade-off for a good grade is sleep. This, however, is dangerous because sleep deprivation can cause long term adverse effects which are pretty much permanent damage to one’s health which cannot be reversed for good. This is one of the most important things that students should never compromise on!
Your Ego
Everyone has an ego, which stops them for taking ownership for their mistakes or admitting that they do not know something. However, both of these are absolutely important for one to grow and learn. One’s ego will never enable him or her to rise above their level and will always remain the way they are. Letting go of over-confidence and being grounded and humble is the best way to learn for everyone, no matter what the age of the person is.