Engineering some balance
Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering major Xingyuan Zhang finds it crucially important to structure his life around what’s important to him. But he believes that without balance in his life, he wouldn’t be able to stay sharp.
“I am trying to do what my father always says to me: ‘Study hard; play hard. If you only study, it will numb your brain,’” Xingyuan says.
He shares three things that work for maintaining his own life balance:
- Exercise regularly. Xingyuan says it’s important to find an activity you actually enjoy, no matter what it is. “I was not the strongest or tallest when I was a kid. So, I didn’t find basketball or soccer interesting. Table tennis suits me, because it requires agility and precision,” he says.
- Don’t neglect what you enjoy. “I miss the food in my hometown, so I cook Chinese food from time to time,” he says. “I cook for my host family and other friends as a way to show my appreciation and to share different cultures.”
- Keep a consistent schedule. Xingyuan says stress is inevitable. His answer to relieve that pressure is to plan around a goal and be consistent. “I strategically divide my days into detailed sections, even including taking a break from intensive work, then try to stick to the schedule as closely as I can.” Everything should be in moderation, however. “I would not recommend running away from the stressful thing for too long.”
His love for his major, he finds, is even a helpful reminder. “I think aerospace design is all about balancing many aspects of the vehicle based on the design requirement,” he says. “College is similar. You need to have a goal, whether it’s graduate school or a full-time job, and then balance your life based on that goal.”
For more resources on student balance, well-being and campus-wide support, visit the Steps to Leaps Initiative website.
