“Time isn’t the main thing,” said jazz musician Miles Davis. “It’s the only thing.” And learning how to manage the time you have is a fundamental part of professional and personal success.
For many people, the first test comes when they go to university. Firstly, there’s no parent around to make sure they’re keeping up with revision. Then there’s all that extra temptation. After all, university-life isn’t just about book learning. It’s also a chance to meet new people and attend more than a few parties.
To get the most out of university, students need to learn the fine art of balancing work and play. And picking the right place to study will definitely help. That’s why Ivory Research decided to look at student Instagram posts to see which countries and cities are the most work-focused and which ones prefer to party.
If you get bad cases of FOMO, stay away from schools in Vermont, USA, and British party towns like Colchester and Leeds. 70% of surveyed Instagram posts in these cities had a party theme.
But budding workaholics should avoid international study in Bolivia. 100% of student posts were work-related. And why this could increase the chances of good grades, overworked students are more likely to suffer burnout and mental health issues.
Students in the US cities of Kansas and San Diego seem to have hit the sweet spot, as have those in some of the UK’s most popular student spots, including Manchester and Cardiff. There was a rough 50/50 split between work and party posts in all these cities.
University life is about balance. Work too hard, and you’ll miss out on the fun. But party too much, and you could compromise your future career chances. Because downing a record number of shots is one achievement that won’t impress potential employers.
