Wake up, leave home on time, make it through a full day of school and power through extra-curricular activities, tutorials, part-time jobs or study sessions. Once all is done, go home and repeat everything the next day. This is a glimpse of a busy student life and understandably, it can be quite stressful. Feelings of dreading the next day or the whole week may arise if this is the only cycle that is followed. There has to be something in between to change things up and allow one to let loose, and that could come in the form of a hobby.
A hobby, according to Cambridge Dictionary is “an activity that someone does for pleasure when they are not working”. They can come in many types and forms, ranging from physical or active hobbies like playing football and skateboarding, creative hobbies like painting or urban sketching and passive hobbies like reading, to name a few. All of these can offer one a momentary escape or diversion. For busy students, this can be helpful. So, in what ways can having a hobby be good for students?
Speaking with someone who interacts with students on a daily basis, my best friend who works as a teacher said that hobbies are important for students of all ages, as having one could give them something else to think about aside from school and may help with striking a balance of anxious feelings. It can also offer something to look forward to rather than just simply going between home and school on a daily basis. This, she said, can also be good in terms of providing an outlet for their stress or frustration, as well as keeping the mind occupied in a healthier way.
There are also other benefits that could be particularly helpful for students. Robert Frank in an opinion piece for the Los Angeles Times titled “The Focused Student: The advantage of having hobbies”, said that a variety of hobbies create chances to socialise with others, adding that hobbies done in groups will allow one to meet others of different backgrounds and common interests. Hobbies can also have an educational aspect that can lead to creating skills that can be used in a future career, Frank said, in addition to physical and social benefits. An article from the Centre For Adult Education (CAE) also echoed those points, but added other benefits such as hobbies being able to force one to take some time for oneself, provide a way to declutter one’s mind through focusing on doing an activity you love and keeping one in better physical health.
These are just some of the benefits that having a hobby could bring to a student and can provide some insight as to why having one or a few can be important. As I read articles for this edition of The Young Post, I remembered the times when I was a student as hobbies kept me sane after enduring a long day or a hectic and busy week. Frustrations would easily be wiped away through engaging in my favourite hobbies, particularly photography where after taking a long walk and a few pictures, I would come home with a sense of clarity and renewed motivation.
With these reinvigorated feelings, I would then be ready to face another week while also attaining the benefits that come directly or indirectly from that hobby. I believe that other hobbies can do the same for other students, which is why I think having one or a few is important for them. Aside from the several benefits, it can help keep someone going regardless of how difficult a week may have been to trudge through.
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