How Hobbies Can Make You A Better Student

by StudyMalaysia.com on June 27, 2015 | Top Stories

Let's face it - staring at your phone watching funny or outrageous videos isn't exactly a hobby. Neither is poking fun at each other on group chats. If you want to be a better student, these hobbies could just do the trick!

Life at college or university can be pretty demanding. Do you find that you've had to give up a few things along the way? Perhaps you're now spending less time on yourself doing things you enjoy. If you've become so caught up with classes and assignments that you've had to say goodbye to your hobbies, then it's time to re-think your schedule.

Hobbies are what you do because you enjoy doing them. The thing about hobbies is that it could be something you've been doing for years, or it could be something you've just tried out and discovered you've got a new passion.

There's no denying that hobbies are great. They can help you relax or keep fit, make new friends or stay in touch with old ones. Hobbies help you learn new things or get even better at what you're already good at. So if you've not had a hobby in a while, here's a list to get you started. Do you want a hobby that helps you socialise better? Do you want to be a better all-round student? Or maybe you just need some down time to keep you from burning out.

Hobbies that help you improve your people skills:

Join a club - choose one that you like or better yet, choose something that appeals to your wild side!
Volunteer - get out of your comfort zone. Volunteering gives you the chance to work with people from all walks of life.
Start a club - if you can't find a club that supports your interests, by all means start your own.
Play a team sport - coaching a team counts too!

Hobbies that help you in survival skills:

Learn to cook - if you don't make it at college (just kidding), you could try out for the next Master Chef challenge.
Go on a real camping trip - where there's no 3G, wi-fi or electricity... you get the idea.
Learn a new language - you never know when it could come in handy.
Organise a fundraiser - this one will probably require all your existing skills and then some; great for character building.

Hobbies that help you relax:

Exercise - yoga, dance, gym or train for a marathon - take your pick.
Play or learn to play an instrument - if you sing, it's even better!
Start and maintain a blog - writing is more than relaxing. Besides improving your writing skills, it can be extremely rewarding to read and look back at what you've done at university.
Read - and we don't mean your lecture notes. Browse a different section of your college library each week or take up a reading challenge