Grad school poses challenges right from Day One. Each day increases the number of tasks and responsibilities exponentially, so it is quite easy to get lost in the whole process. In the end, all the memories are about running to classes with a morning coffee, panicking about deadlines, worrying about internships and long part-time jobs. Not to mention a creative block, an emotional issue in personal life or a rainy Texas day that warrants a cozy nap. Where is the escape for all these emotions? Even Sherlock Holmes has his violin, so what about you?

Hobbies are a great way to keep yourself motivated and active during any phase of your life. Especially during grad school, with all the possible stressors that weigh your shoulders daily, it is extremely essential to find a hobby. From reading or writing, to playing sports or being a 12th Man, or even capturing pictures; a never-ending list is waiting for you. While you are thinking about which one to pick, here are three reasons to pick up a hobby.

A new social life

You can easily get together with your friends with similar interests because that is one less thing to think about for a conversation topic. A lot of learning, fun memories and, most importantly, a relief from daily troubles will just walk into your life.

A new found confidence

“Remember who you are,” said Mufasa to Simba.

Most days, we need to pick ourselves up and reiterate Mufasa’s words to get through our daily grad life. But where does the support for these motivational words come from? It can come from satisfaction of painting a landscape, endorphins after a workout, virtual travel through a fictional novel or from watching the sunset skies from anywhere around College Station.

These help to pause your day and allow you to think. The success and happiness from your hobbies will boost your confidence in your primary task as a grad student.

A new set of skills

“Sometimes patience is the key to victory,” said Captain America.

The most common feature of any hobby is patience. The more patient you are, the better the outcome. As a grad student, when things don’t go as expected, patience will neutralize the chaos in the mind and hobbies will help you learn to be patient.

As you keep practicing and excelling in your hobby, you find there is always someone better out there. This motivates you to challenge yourself to be more creative. As always, this creativity and nature to challenge is reflected in your sharp ideas and progress in your career during grad school and beyond.

A little change in your day to incorporate an interesting hobby will bring remarkable changes by improving your skill set, boosting your confidence and bringing wonderful people into your life. When you paint a picture about grad school, it should include all the beautiful struggles and all your beautiful strengths that have been shaped by those challenges.