As finals approach and assignment deadlines loom on the horizon, many NC State students are starting to feel the pressure. Because of this, students are becoming increasingly distracted by their work and, as a result, aren’t getting the opportunities they need to express themselves. This can be detrimental, as many students should find a way to get their thoughts out and let their imagination run wild. The answer to your woes – find an outlet for creative writing.

The problem is always time and college students are already burdened by the mountain of work that they need to get done. The last thing you want to hear is that you should do more work in your free time, but the rewards that come with creative writing would be absolutely worth the effort.

Research has found that creative writing can have a wide variety of positive effects. A study conducted in 2015 found that middle school students performed better on writing tests after having spent weeks performing biographical exercises. This is because the students were given different types of assignments that often forced them to think differently and creatively.

The positive effects of writing are not limited to academic performance. The McDaniel College Writing Center finds that creative writing helps develop critical life skills, such as solving problems with creative solutions, and the development of one’s vocabulary. These traits are invaluable, and are useful with both writing and other tasks.

It’s a valid concern to not know what to write about; after all, “just write” is kind of a broad and vague suggestion, but there are plenty of options for writing and styles of all varieties.

One of the most popular options is fiction writing. Most people have had, at some point, a new idea pop into their idea for a story. Any genre works: science fiction, romance, fantasy – you pick it. By writing a completely new story with fresh, believable characters and interesting plot, you are putting your creative skills to the test, which will grow and improve the more you write and listen to constructive criticism.

If you don’t have any ideas at the moment, there are plenty of websites that will generate prompts for you, such as Story Shack and Seventh Sanctum. In some cases, this might be even better for you, because then you have to step outside of your comfort zone and write about something you’ve never even considered before.

If you are very busy, or have a lot of stress built up throughout the day and need a means of relief, I would definitely suggest keeping a diary or journal. These are easy means of stress relief, as a private log allows you to vent and let off steam about negative events that have happened in your life recently. These also help keep track of and remind you of good memories and important happenings.

I’ve thought about keeping a journal myself so that I can keep my thoughts and my daily routine organized. Furthermore, as you write about your day, you might make realizations and find solutions for problems that left you stumped when they first popped up.

Finally, consider writing about news, or sharing your opinions, for a print or digital outlet, especially one here on campus. The effects would not only be positive for you; a new perspective or take on an issue has campus-wide benefits, or even further beyond. Here at NC State, we have students from all over the world, each with their own unique and personal life story and experiences. This means that our campus is full of different opinions and beliefs, which should never be viewed as a negative. Disagreement and debate, as long as it remains civil and respectful, can help NC State develop as a university and as a community.

I know that some hobbies might sound more like work than a pastime, and writing definitely fits that description, but as is the case with many other recreational activities, once you put enough time into it, you will start to see the improvements in your writing technique. It’s a hobby that will benefit you for years to come through the development of useful life skills. While creative writing may at first seem like a daunting task, what you will get out of the process makes the effort absolutely worth it.