Video games offer quality entertainment for people worldwide, especially the younger generation. Gaming is often a good way to pass the time and relax after long and stressful days in school. However, most students may struggle to balance gaming and studying. Living independently in college makes it even worse since there is so much freedom with no one to control your game time, like at home. Therefore, aside from having clear schedules for gaming and studying, students can still achieve the balance between gaming and academic life by playing games that have educational value as well. Let’s review some of the top games that help you balance your academic and gaming life perfectly.
A wide range of games offer entertainment and educational value, making them a great option for students who want to enjoy themselves while still learning. If you are finding it difficult to focus on your studies because of gaming and have to pay for essay to get an assignment done, consider playing the following games that will help you strike the right balance while still having fun.
Portal 2
Portal 2 offers diverse benefits to students aside from entertainment. From problem-solving to innovation and spatial awareness, students can build several skills while playing this game. The game’s puzzles require players to apply critical thinking and find solutions to problems using logic and physics principles. Understanding and navigating the Portal 2 3D space builds spatial reasoning and the ability to speculate outcomes. The game is particularly beneficial for students taking STEM courses since it incorporates elements of mathematics and sciences, making it a good way to learn specific concepts in these subjects while still having fun.
Minecraft
Minecraft is classified under the survival or sandbox gaming genre and is a dynamic game that allows for creative building and survival challenges. The game’s setting encourages creativity and teamwork. Besides, the game incorporates several STEM concepts that are essential for students to learn. For example, the redstone circuits teach basic principles of electronics and logic. The educational versions of Minecraft allow students to learn more about historical events, legendary landmarks, and diverse cultures, providing a fun learning experience.
Furthermore, building challenges in Minecraft enhances comprehension of geometrical concepts. Students can also sharpen their basic coding and programming skills with tools like Minecraft Education Edition or Code Builder. Minecraft also supports different learning objectives, making it a recommended game for students who want to have fun and learn simultaneously.
Slay the Spire
Slay the Spire is a unique game classified under deck-building and roguelike genres and involves playing strategic card-like games with runs that can be completed quickly. The game promotes entertainment and has educational benefits as well. From mathematical skills to critical thinking and problem-solving skills, students can develop several cognitive and life skills through Slay the Spire in an engaging way.
The game reinforces mathematical concepts by calculating damage blocks and other effects involving mathematics and probability. In regards to boosting problem-solving ability, the player is required to solve complex problems, such as optimizing their deck and looking for the best move in battles. The game is suitable for students because it helps them become more meticulous, as one must pay attention to slight movements, such as card synergies or enemy behaviors, to win.
While gaming is an excellent way of relaxing and winding down after long hours of class and assignments, you have to find ways to ensure that you remain productive in your academic life. Here are some tips to help you attain this much-needed balance.
Know When to Stop
The main step in remaining productive even when playing PC games is knowing when to stop. It is easy to get consumed by gaming and forget that you should be handling other things; thus, you should be conscious about your time and schedules even when gaming. Uninstalling your games may not be the best solution since you will find yourself reinstalling them. Therefore, you need a specific gaming time, after which you can stop if the time elapses. Sticking to such time limits may be hard at first, but you will gradually create healthy gaming habits with discipline.
Make Healthy Gaming Choices
Making healthy gaming choices contributes to your gaming discipline. Students often have a wide range of tasks to handle, and thus, you cannot afford to pick games that are highly addictive and time-consuming. Instead, you should select games that you can play for short periods.
Do Self-Monitoring
Aside from having a specific gaming schedule, keeping track of your gaming time is essential to help you understand how much time you spend on video games. Understanding how much time you spend on gaming will help you make the necessary adjustments to your schedule. You can have applications or journals to help you keep track of your gaming time.
Find Other Entertaining Activities
Gaming is often a preferred entertainment activity for most students. However, you need to find other forms of entertainment to ensure you do not use all your spare time for gaming since it might lead to addiction. Explore different hobbies, such as working out, hiking, or going out with friends, to ensure you are not gaming at every chance you get. As a bonus, taking part in other activities will leave you rejuvenated and improve your focus in class.
Closing Remarks
Academic life can be challenging, yet gaming can be a good stress reliever. However, too much of it can also be addictive and affect one’s productivity. Immersive games like Slay the Spire and Minecraft provide a healthy stress outlet and have educational value. Therefore, when balancing gaming and academics, it is also essential to find games to help you learn some basic concepts and cognitive skills. Finding the right balance between studies and gaming depends on how organized one is and whether one knows when to stop gaming and take on one’s educational responsibilities. What’s more, practice healthy gaming; healthy gaming choices require top-notch discipline, especially in college, where your parents may not be there to limit your gaming time or help you get back on track.