College distractions challenge idea of unstructured discipline

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By Marcus Lopez
Student Reporter

The amount of opportunity for distractions people face everyday is already challenging, but what happens when the responsibilities of being a student stand against an already unhinged environment?

According to studies by The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill “Most college students have more flexibility and less structure in college than they did in high school. Whether you’re learning remotely or living on campus, you may have long periods of unstructured time when you will have to decide how to use your time wisely.”

The freedom to have independence within a college setting creates a greater susceptibility to larger and more serious consequences if not taken care of accordingly. Proper usage of time management with articulate movements towards maintaining a solid pace of study can defy an already large dilemma within a majority of college students. “It is a difficult task for students raised on technology to put their phones away, take a step back and choose which daily task is more important,” Zachary Camacho, a professional tutor, said.

There is now a large quantity of different ways a student can immerse themselves including TikTok, Youtube, Instagram, X, etc. The ease in capability to create a false sense of averting feelings of boredom within today’s technologically driven world may be temporary but can potentially damage the critical thinking of choosing what is more essential in a student’s schedule.

Student Austin More said “The personal experience I have had with mindlessly scrolling through Facebook instead of getting homework done is a bad habit that I want to fix, but just can’t seem to stop.” The rise in global involvement with social distractions is on a
dangerous slope and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

An article published by Discover states, “A little motivation can go a long way. Setting up a reward system is a good way to encourage yourself to do something.” Instilling a strict behavior ranking homework or academic activity above getting lost in the algorithms of online communities can contribute to a more efficient way of managing a student’s sense of obligation. Perhaps even with the already large community of advocates against the effects social media can have on someone’s lifestyle, the path paved has already been enabled for far too long. Resources on tips for methods to avoid distractions can be found within a variety of websites, so the next time you feel the urge to swipe right, consider doing it on something worth scrolling for.

“I’m not really a distracted person,” Michael Whitaker, a mass media student, said. “I feel like the only distractions are the ones that come from life. It’s difficult having to navigate being a student in such a pressing time. Sickness in my kids and my family and financial distractions obviously.”

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