University is an educational institution first and foremost. It’s designed to help you get the qualifications you need to excel in your career and support yourself. But is a formal education all you need? Hobbies in University are also important as they can enrich your overall experience, helping you grow both personally and professionally.
If you shut yourself away and study non-stop, you might get great grades, but you aren’t necessarily getting the most out of university. Universities are also a wonderful place to meet people, make connections, and grow as a person.
Advantages of Having Hobbies in University:
1. Networking and Careers
“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”
We’ve all heard that saying before, and it’s true in almost every industry. Yes, skills and qualifications are incredibly important and make it possible to do certain jobs. But in saturated industries, you aren’t the only one with these qualifications. While excelling can give you a leg up, it’s also very helpful to get to know other people.
This is called networking, and it often starts in universities. By making connections with fellow students, teachers, and professionals in your desired field, you can give yourself opportunities in the future. People want to work with friends.
So, where do hobbies come into the picture? Hobbies in university give you an opportunity to make these connections. In an interview, you might be asked about your interests and hobbies. They tell an interviewer something about you, your personality, and some of your skills.
Someone with some hobbies and skills outside of work is often considered more likeable and interesting than someone with nothing to say about themselves.
2. Your Mental Health
Another reason hobbies are useful is because they can help you destress. This is very important for your mental health, as university and entering the workforce can be overwhelming. If you burn out, your studies, health, and happiness will suffer.
A hobby is something that’s just for you. It might be something that you picked up the summer before university. It might be a useful skill or interest like cooking, or maybe it’s just playing video games. The most important thing is that it’s something you enjoy.
3. Good Hobbies to Have
What if you don’t really have a hobby? Or what if you want to broaden your horizons and find new hobbies?
Not all hobbies are created equally, but this doesn’t mean other hobbies don’t have value. If you enjoy it, it’s important.
With this in mind, think about hobbies that grow you as a person. Keeping fit is a great hobby to have, as it keeps you healthy and can connect you to other people with similar interests. You can play sports, go running, or simply enjoy the gym.
You might also want to get into music. Learn about musical greats like Clive Davis and pick up an instrument. You don’t have to become the next big thing, but it helps to have a skill that lets you tickle your creative side.
Drawing and writing are also great skills to learn and hobbies to have, as they’re also creative. Hobbies in university not only help you develop these skills but also connect you to other people and help you make new friends.
