School had always been easy for me from the beginning. I graduated high school with a 4.6 GPA, took honors and AP classes, and not to mention courses at the local community college. To some extent grades still come easy. College was the first time in my life I felt as if I really needed to study. I studied not only before tests, but also after classes to process what I was learning. It was the first-time things weren’t as easy, but I welcome this feeling as I live my life seeking challenges.
I never worked while high school was in session, aside from the occasional babysitting gig. My challenge at that time was being a student athlete for a contact sport that most girls aren’t drawn to, Rugby. Training to be the best athlete I could be for my team became my side-job. After a shoulder injury last year, I took a break from rugby and life was pretty easy again. I had more than enough time for the balance of life: school and friends. I went abroad, studied, and relaxed.After my six-month adventure abroad, I started looking for jobs and planning my semester so that I would be busy.
In my second to last semester, I am electing 6 courses for a total of 18 credit hours. Of these, one class is a thesis seminar in Spanish, and another requires 4 hours a week spent at a free legal clinic in addition to the 2.5 hours of class a week. I also lift weights 4 days a week to stay in shape and have a weekend waitressing job. Needless to say, I have a lot going on, and it’s been catching up to me.
I am missing out on so many things by spreading myself thin. For one, I want to sleep in some days, but with my workload, it would mean less sleep for the next night. I unexpectedly miss the relief of it being the end of the week and having a weekend to look forward to. During the week, I count my days to the “weekend” of waitressing ahead of me. While waitressing, I look forward to my “days off” that I only have to sit through classes. The hardest part is having to say no to the people I love. If my boyfriend wants a Friday night date night, my answer is, “if you want to wait until after 10:30.” If my friends want to go out I often respond, “sorry I have work,” or, “I need to be up early tomorrow.”
While all of this is hard, I think it’s a realistic glimpse into post-grad life. It isn’t the idealistic picture we paint in our heads. It isn’t being married with kids,a dog, and a white picket fence. It’s working hard for every penny you earn, and using that earned money for boring activities like bills and groceries. I realize I won’t have the time to be caught up on all my favorite Netflix and Hulu shows. Being an adult is learning how to juggle life.