“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” according to the old saying, and that definitely holds true when the work is studying. No matter how fascinating your classes may be, there are still times when schoolwork seems like drudgery. And although you might be happy to let your parents believe that you are in the library studying every moment you’re not in class, it is actually essential to your wellbeing to find balance between your intellectual labors and the rest of your life.
When you live at ICON Students Waterloo, it’s an absolute breeze to strike that balance!
Of course, your studies do come first. After all, you and/or your parents are spending a tremendous amount of money to guarantee a good education. If you squander this opportunity, you might not get another!
Some students find they do their best work while sitting up in bed, while others are motivated by the impersonal, unforgiving confines of a library carrel — it’s not the most pleasant place to be, so they are eager to finish up their work and get out of there. At ICON, you can have the best of both worlds.
Here, the study spaces are designed to be comfortable, but not so cozy that you can’t focus on the task at hand. They provide a change of scenery from your apartment, where there are so many distractions — the 42”-inch television, the company of your roommates, cupboards stocked with snacks, and of course the tempting oasis of your bed — but don’t require you to travel across campus. You don’t even have to leave the building.
There’s plenty of scientific and anecdotal evidence that points to the value of periodic breaks from intellectual activity. It might seem counterintuitive, but studying nonstop for hours on end is actually going to drive your productivity down. Researchers say that you should take a five- to ten-minute break each hour. For best results, do something entirely different; don’t just switch to the Discord tab on your laptop, but get up, move around a little, grab a snack or a glass of water, and toss on your favourite meditation App.
After three to four hours of quizzing yourself on French vocab, solving for X, or reading Dante’s Inferno, it is time for a slightly longer respite. A half an hour is a good length. During this time, head to ICON Students Waterloo’s lounge to warm up by the fire or chat with classmates. Sneak in some playtime in the game room. For a gentle pick-me-up, practice a short yoga flow in the dedicated studio. There are so many activities to choose from and enjoyment to be had, it might be difficult keeping your break to a mere thirty minutes, but stay disciplined! After your day’s labors are complete, the fun will still be there for you to take part in.
The streamlined, stunning kitchen in each suite at ICON is another space ripe with the promise of balance. In the mornings, whip up tasty green smoothies or a hearty frittata to fuel your day ahead. Stash healthy snacks like edamame, whole-grain crackers with hummus, grapes, and fat-free Greek yogurt in the fridge to nosh on throughout the day. When night falls and you’re ready to relax, you’ll relish the thought of making a meal with your roommates — or maybe just blending a pitcher of margaritas to celebrate the end of another productive day.
It isn’t always simple to ease up on your workload, decompress, and destress, but life at ICON represents the opportunity to live a wholesome, balanced lifestyle while earning your degree.
ICON Students Waterloo is now leasing for May and September move-ins.
