Yubo’s Back-to-School Survival Guide: Social Discovery Apps

As the summer winds down, many of you are getting ready to hit the books once again. This transition means having to decrease your online time or, at the very least, use social discovery apps more productively, in a way that helps you enhance rather than impede your studies. Here at Yubo, we’re cheering you on – be it school, college, or work. So, to help you navigate this change better, we’d like to offer you some fundamental tips and tricks for using social discovery apps during this time.

Balancing act

Transitioning from a relaxed summer schedule to a more structured back-to-school routine can be really challenging. Make sure to prepare a realistic plan you can follow! Be aware of active and passive use of social media: while there’s no real harm in casual scrolling during downtime, doing so amidst other responsibilities can have a negative impact on your productivity and learning.

When you feel the need to connect, use social media actively and purposefully by chatting, commenting, and engaging with your friends. Avoid sacrificing sleep for social media. Instead, designate specific breaks to check in with your friends throughout the day, but don’t forget to include some screen-free breaks too! For more tips, check out our blog post on well-being online, which includes some insight on managing screen time and balancing your social media and your day-to-day IRL life.

Schedule conversations

The prevalence of smartphones and texting means that someone somewhere is always online, which can be overwhelming when trying to catch up with friends throughout the day. As soon as one conversation is over, another begins… What’s the best way to navigate this? One solution is to go back to basics and schedule your time for socializing, just like you would IRL. Let your friends know about your usual social media check-in times. Your friends might appreciate knowing exactly when to expect a lengthy catch-up. Alternatively, if your friends just cannot survive without you for more than five minutes – and who can blame them? – you can use your phone's Focus Mode or mute social media apps while you’re studying or having some screenless time.

When time is limited, consider setting up group chats or calls. This way you can catch up with multiple friends at once or maybe even spark some new connections among friends who haven't met before. Group chats can also reduce the pressure to respond immediately. Although you might miss parts of the conversation entirely, this experience can teach you to “let go” easier. Combining these strategies helps maintain relationships while respecting everyone's time – yours as well as your friends'.

Group study

Did you know that 76% of students who learn together start on their assessments sooner? Learning with others can be beneficial in many ways. For instance, you’re less likely to procrastinate and more likely to feel accountable for the results you achieve. Group study can also alleviate the anxiety many students feel when tackling new or complex subjects and reduce the feeling of isolation and loneliness. There’s always an option of getting real-time help from your friends, and you can feel like a superhero helping somebody else with a challenging concept or idea. You can pick up new study techniques from your student group, too!

And here’s the best part: to study together you no longer need to be in the same physical space. On Yubo, you can easily assemble a study group and learn together while hanging out in a live. Whether you prefer background music, the ambient sound of typing, complete silence, or active discussion – the format is up to you. You don’t even need to have an established group to study with: find a tag that’s relevant to your subject interests and start connecting! You’ll get your group together in no time.

Here for you

No matter your approach to navigating the new school year like a pro – be it reducing your screen time during the academic year, balancing your on- and offline life, or harnessing the power of social discovery apps to meet your needs – we’re here for you. We’re buzzing with fresh perspectives, ideas, and angles, and excited for you to start the new academic year in the best way possible. So, go ahead and make this year your best one yet!