This months’ EUSA Student Column reflects on the importance of combining and balancing sports and academics for students, as seen by Student Commission Chair and member of the EUSA Executive Committee Ms Flobena Nikolli.

As James Howell would say "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." For any student, it is essential to maintain a balance between sport and academics as the two complement each other. Based on the experience I have seen as a student and a sports volunteer I think that to develop overall personality and achieve career excellence, academics and sports are very important together, they are an excellent combination of cerebral and physical intelligence.

For a healthy brain and body, you should try to excel in both sports and academics.

I would like to see as few Parents as possible pressuring their child to perform well only in lessons, as achieving academic success means nothing if it does not improve overall personality and brain development. An individual's brain develops when he engages in activities that improve his mental and physical strength.

A person can achieve success in every aspect of life by combining sport with academic. Sport helps keep the body active and the mind free of stress and anxiety. Sports should be kept on par with academics as both can help you shape your life goals.

Here are just a few examples of the success of their Sport and Education balance:

- Dina Asher-Smith
British runner Dina Asher-Smith had to balance being world 100m junior champion while completing a degree in history at King's College London

- Amy Costello
Hockey player from United Kingdom, Sport and Exercise Science student at University of Birmingham

- Maria Tsaptsinos
She is an English table tennis bronze medallist, graduated with a first-class honours degree in Geography at University of Nottingham

- Harry Leleu
World University Triathlon Championship competitor, studying Physics at Loughborough University

EUSA with its Institute also supports several dual career projects, many of them are co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.



Flobena is a 22-year-old law graduate from Albania, currently doing her masters in Penal Law at the Faculty of Law at the University of Tirana.

Are you a student with an opinion? We are looking for new contributors for our student column every month. Feel free to contact stc@eusa.eu to offer a piece or propose a topic.