Balancing School, Work, and Personal Life

Yesterday, I was having a mental breakdown in a coffee shop. I was crying my eyes out on the phone with my mother about how stressed I was from work, how worried I was that I wasn’t going to get into med school with my current grades, and that I was only 1.5 percent away from failing my most recent functions test. As a grade 11 student, I can tell you that having a part-time job while being in school and trying to maintain a personal life is the one of the hardest things I’ve done to date.

However, this busy-bee lifestyle that I live every day has forced me to find strategies to help me keep my sanity (most of the time). Today, I want to share them with you!

I am taking Spanish, functions, biology, and chemistry this semester. Whenever I tell people my timetable, they all say the same thing, “Wow, good luck! You’ll need it.” They then proceed to tell me about how difficult it’s going to be taking two sciences and the grade 11 functions course all in one semester (as if I don’t already know). While this timetable is challenging, I found that managing it is all about being organized. 

Learn How to Be Organized

One of my biggest downfalls last year was that I wasn’t organized. This meant that I had no idea when upcoming due dates were, what my next unit would cover, or even if my timetable would be swapping biweekly from online classes to in-person learning. My marks were low, and my stress levels were high. Thankfully, I no longer have to worry about being in online school. Nonetheless, knowing when I have assignments due is still important. 

This year, to keep myself on time, I’m using a daily agenda and an online calendar. At the start of the semester, I went through the course outlines for each of my classes and added all the important dates to my online calendar. This is to ensure that no last-minute assignments will sneak up on me. With my daily agenda, I jot down any important information from the morning announcements. This makes sure that I don’t miss any information for clubs that I participate in. I also include any homework that is assigned throughout the day. After school, I designate an hour and a half for homework and studying. My daily agenda and online calendar help me know what I’ll be doing for that time, so I’m not just sitting aimlessly in front of my computer. 

Romanticize Your Life

Have you ever seen the show Gilmore Girls? This autumn, I have been swearing by that show and taking Rory Gilmore as an inspiration. She studies flawlessly, maintains high marks, and still manages to have a cute boyfriend in every episode. Now I’m not saying that you should go and base your life on a TV show, but there are some helpful takeaways that I’ve gotten from it. 

If you know that you’re going to have to sit down at some point and tackle two hours’ worth of math homework, you might as well grab some fuzzy socks, make a steaming cup of coffee, put on some tunes, and get it done. Homework doesn’t have to be like pulling teeth!

In fact, there are plenty of ways to enjoy it. This is what romanticizing means! To make something better or more appealing than it really is. I found that if I’m having a snack and staying hydrated while working, I don’t feel as tired by the time I’m finished because my body is still fueled. This way, I still have time to see my friends and family afterwards. 

Have a Good Support System

Surround yourself with positive people. For me, this is my friends and family. My family is always there to support me. When I tell my parents that I failed a test, they don’t yell at me, they help me. They got me a tutor for my functions class, and whenever I’m studying, they’ll bring me some food to keep me going. Knowing that I’ve got my family cheering me on makes any task that I’m doing seem a lot easier. I understand that not everyone has this sort of family dynamic, which is why having a good group of friends is very important too.

When making friends, keep in mind that it’s quality over quantity. You don’t need to know a hundred people who will ditch you when times get tough. All you need is one or two close friends who will stay by your side during the hard parts. I am blessed with two best friends who have been with me through thick and thin. Their support encourages me to keep going. Having close friends that go to your school or are around your age is helpful, too, because it’s a good reminder that you’re not alone. I will say that I’m not the biggest “people person,” but having a strong support system to help really makes all the difference.

Balance the Act: Full-Time Student + Part-Time Job

I work three shifts a week at a restaurant. Each shift typically starts at 4:30 p.m. and finishes at 9:00 p.m. This means that I don’t get home until after nine o’clock at night and by the time I have changed, eaten dinner, and spent some time with my family, it’s 10:15 p.m. You might be thinking that I’m about to tell you to push through and do homework until midnight, but I’m not. When I’ve just come home from a full school day and a long shift, I’m not about to do another hour and a half’s worth of homework. I will agree, sometimes it’s necessary to pull an all-nighter. However, I found that by staying organized and doing my homework before my shift, I don’t have to stay up all night. 

This is how I keep my personal life intact. I make it a priority.

Whether that means going to sleep instead of staying up studying or spending time with my family and friends rather than doing extra credit work, it all helps keep me sane and prevents another crying fit. 

Adjustment takes time. I am still adjusting to this year’s workload, but by staying organized, doing my best to enjoy the mundane yet stressful task of studying, and having my friends and family to support me makes everything a little bit easier. I hope that some of this advice will help you, and I hope that it continues to help you throughout your future semesters.