By Catherine Kastberg

Question: How would you go about balancing spending time with your on-campus friends and visiting out-of-state friends while not falling behind on your school work?

Well first, let’s state the obvious. The main problem here is time management. Many students can agree that since you only spend a few hours in class a day, there is enough time in the mornings and evenings to complete assigned schoolwork. With this in mind, it is important to stay organized and keep a schedule. It is also important to create a schedule that you will actually follow.

If you have an internship, most places require that you work twice a week and you may find that you have no time for homework. Always bring homework to work. You never know if you are going to have a slow day, so be proactive and capitalize on this time. Also, depending on your method of commute, you may have a lot of idle time. The Ram Van usually takes between 30 minutes to an hour, which allows plenty of time to catch up on readings for your classes.

When planning a trip, focus on major events that are happening on your friend’s campus. Go visit your friend at a big state school for a football game. Events like this allow large groups of people to get together. You may even want to bring some friends from school to introduce to your life-long friends, so that your social circle can expand! Your friends from school can meet new people and make new memories. Things like football games, concerts or even a Yankee game can bring unfamiliar groups together. If you are having friends visit you from out of town, bring them down to River Avenue to watch the playoff-bound Yankees, or see a concert in Manhattan.

Fordham has something a lot of schools do not: easy access to all of New York City. When hosting long-time friends, take advantage of the proximity to the city and bring both groups. The distance to the city allows you and your friends to get there in a reasonable amount of time, so this should not interfere with your homework schedule. Make reasonable decisions when making plans so that you leave yourself enough time to finish a paper or study for an exam before going out for a night on the town.

Try to create a designated area that allows you to remain focused and get your work done. Obviously, the library is a great place to seclude yourself and be productive.

Be proactive and take those trips every once in a while. Keep in mind that not only do you have to keep track of schoolwork, but you also have to budget your expenses! You should make these trips special so that they can be something to which you can look forward. It cannot be an every weekend thing because of money and time, but getting away every now and then can be a nice way to clear your mind, see old and new friends and relax.