The academic community I am in is a very competitive atmosphere. Students, regardless of intended profession, all work very hard to compete for the finest graduate institutions in the world. The most publicized intended field of study in my university is pre-medicine. As a pre-med student myself, I feel that I fit into the community very well. I enjoy the competition among students and feel that it actually makes me stronger and more motivated. I feed off the competition in a positive way because I am motivated to work harder than ever before just to stay competitive. I have become more active in extracurricular activities this year to try and maintain a social-academic balance. However, because the atmosphere is so competitive, I feel that the social interactions are not as strong here than in other schools. Students feel more pressure to stay ahead and therefore do not have as much time to socialize with each other. I have felt less sociable here than back in high school or at other colleges. People here seem a little more uptight most likely due to the stress from the heavy workload. As hard as it seems, I try to balance hard work and a healthy social life. Although there are times when I am just too overwhelmed by the work load, I try to interact with my peers consistently and enjoy myself here.
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It's important to keep a strong balance between work and your social life. Both are equally important in maintaining a happy life.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ashshepherd16
Also, when the students are so focused on competition, they forget that they are each valuable resources for each other. Instead of helping each other out, they are only focused on getting a head, and that can hurt their relationships in the future as well as the past.
I beleive that competition is a great way to channel energy into something worthwhile. I am a very competitve student as well. Extracurricular activities take most of my schedule, but because I find a lot of great people to hang out within those groups and clubs, I don't feel like I'm missing out on any "social" event at all. I suggest you do the same thing. I'm sure there are a lot of people you can relate with and do the same activities without feeling like your not making enough time for each other. Good luck with your studies. = )