Opinion | Too much social media could affect grades
Students at the basement of Illini Union on Apr. 16, eating lunch and working.
November 6, 2019
Halloween may present itself as the scariest season in the calendar year, but college students will tell you otherwise. With lack of sleep, sore bodies and dazed minds, we college students are experiencing the full force of the semester.
It’s the time of year we students here at the University lock ourselves up in Grainger, ACES or the Undergraduate Library and cram for exams, or somehow churn out those papers like our life depends on it. Maybe frequenting Starbucks or Espresso Royale should be something to consider, but if you wish to do well in all of your classes, stop using social media so much.
You are probably screaming, “No! Never!” How dare a student columnist tell you to quit using your social media accounts. Well, if you wish to finish the semester strong, take this advice.
Back in the day — or, in other words, 20 years ago — college students did not have all of the social media platforms we have today. They couldn’t post anything on their Snapchat stories; they couldn’t like a friend’s photo on Facebook, and they didn’t even have all of the internet access we take for granted today. But they made it. Those college students survived without social media, and you should too.
Whenever you plan on studying or writing a paper for a substantial amount of time, put your phone away. Sure, it can be tempting to check it every five minutes because heaven forbid we could have missed someone’s Instagram post. Constantly being on your phone, even simply texting, could drag you away from what truly matters: Your college degree.
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When not using your social media platforms, you will be surprised by how much you can accomplish. You will know your exam material much more than you did when you started. Your research paper will read like a piece that should qualify for a Pulitzer Prize. At the end of the semester, most of all, you will be proud of yourself you didn’t waste time.
Sure, go ahead and use it to stay updated on all things social. But in this dreaded crunch time during the next coming weeks, limit the amount of time you spend on your social media accounts.
When you do well in all of your classes, don’t hunt me down to say thank you for the advice. Instead, thank yourself that you spent more time working toward that degree rather than checking the latest celebrity tweets.
Noah is a sophomore in LAS.
