College Hardships: Balancing School, Work and Relationships

As I approach the end of my second year as a college student, you’d think I’ve mastered balancing studying, working, and maintaining relationships. Well, let me just tell you right now, it hasn’t gotten any easier. I find myself stressed out on a regular basis with a few mental breakdowns here and there. The struggle is real, but I have figured out a few ways to stay grounded and focused when sh*t hits the fan. 

I came into college with my boyfriend from high school (cute, I know). We had already been dating for over a year, so he was already a huge priority in my life. I also found a new job in Tallahassee pretty quick after moving up here, which left me little time to fully settle in. On top of that I was taking 5 classes (soon to be 4 after I dropped chemistry, LOL) and learning how to study all on my own. I thought I was so prepared for freshman year, but I learned quickly that I was not at all. I took some hard hits throughout my first two semesters. I changed my major from something that I thought I had always wanted to do to something that was so new to me, got diagnosed with moderate anxiety, was failing at meeting new people and started experiencing relationship problems for the first time. This time in my life was so overwhelming as I was experiencing it, but I’m here to tell you now that I think I’ve got it all under control. 

I moved from my tiny, little dorm into an actual apartment for my second year here at FSU. I was ready for a fresh start. I wanted to feel like Tallahassee was my home. I took the summer as a period of time for me to reboot and prepare myself for another year. It was exactly what I needed. I started the semester off in a major that I felt like I truly enjoyed, worked hard on my relationship, managed my anxiety and branched out to get to know new people. Of course, there were bumps in the road. I had to leave my previous job that I loved to find a new one, which was a struggle, but it didn’t take long to find something else that I felt was a good fit for me. I’ve had a multitude of car problems that broke the bank, but thankfully my car is in the works of having a complete makeover (which it needed desperately). One thing I definitely need to work on is procrastination. Anyone else wait until the night before to study for a hard test? Definitely setting myself up for failure on that one but it’s all about progress, right? We’ll work on it. 

After almost two years at this school, I think I finally figured out how to do life here. If you’re stuck in a rut right now, just know that getting the hang of things will come with time. Having self-discipline and patience are definitely some qualities I wish I would have worked on sooner. Every day is a new day to take one step at a time. 

All body images are courtesy of Sarah Bordeaux.

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