Balancing Interning with School and Work

I have a fair amount on my plate this semester:

It’s a pretty hectic workload. I constantly have my planner with me and my phone is pretty much always buzzing with new emails or other work- or class-related updates. More often than not I need to prepare in advance if I have a major assignment due or an event to facilitate around the same time as a friend’s birthday or an evening out with friends.

Still, this type of workload isn’t impossible to maintain on top of getting sleep and having a social life. If you’re busy like me, the keys to success are balance, time management, and knowing when to say “no.” I have my working days scheduled so that I can focus on whatever task I’m doing, or whatever role I’m playing, during the working week. On the flip side, weekends are all mine; I won’t do anything aside from social activities or homework on a weekend. I plan in advance to make sure I’ll start studying ahead of time for that big exam and won’t have to pull an all-nighter to finish that research paper. I’m not afraid to politely, but firmly, say no if I know that it is not at all realistic for my mental health or physical well-being to take on more responsibility, even if it is only for one event or project.

When balancing so many commitments, it’s key to make sure that there’s also time in my schedule so that I can take care of me. (Never underestimate the energizing effect of a solid night’s sleep!) What also helps is that these are all things I love to do. (Well, aside from taking General Education requirement classes.) I’m fortunate to be doing things that I love, so it isn’t as hard as one would think to balance all these commitments. Although of course there are days when I’d love to hit the snooze button when my alarm goes off in the early hours of the morning!