Having a busy schedule can make life seem impossible! Sometimes you feel like your putting off too much work so you can have fun, and other times you feel like your not having enough fun because your always working. Finding that balance is not an easy task… but, my roommate somehow manages to conquer it all: school, work, meditation, and fun! Maria Zavala is a Bio Major, with a demanding job as a Records Assistant at the Financial Aid Office. She typically works 17 hours in a week, on top of a hefty load of homework. The course material also requires a massive amount of study time. With a workload like hers, it’s a wonder how she balances her time to relax and have fun, but she’s here to tell you just how she does it!
1. Do you have time to eat?!
I make eating a huge priority. I cannot study with an empty stomach, so I often carry my breakfast with me (oatmeal) and I make sure to come back home for dinner before heading back to the library or study sessions. I also try to have balanced meals that won’t drag me down throughout my day, but that will still keep me full. I also eat snacks throughout the day (watermelon, berries, cereal bars etc.) to keep the hunger at bay.
2. How do you deal with the stress?
That’s a tough one. It really depends on the day and what type of stress I’m dealing with on those days. Usually though, taking a walk by the beach or watching the sunset helps with the stress. Other times, going on morning runs, meditating, and doing aromatherapy really helps. What I have found the most helpful though, is laughing. Laughing is proven to release the ‘feel good hormones’ that can reduce stress, so hanging around with people that can crack a joke or two or even watching comedy shows helps immensely with my stress levels.
3. What do you do for fun?
For fun I do pretty much the exact same things that I do to reduce stress. I go on beach walks, morning runs, meditate, aromatherapy, spending quality time with friends, or watch comedy shows.
4. Do you have to completely organize your days?
Yes. I often have a busy schedule with deadlines creeping around the corner, so it is important for me to be as organized as possible. Having a planner with a calendar has helped me organize my assignments and upcoming exams to better organize my week. I usually begin organizing/planning my week on Sundays and try to follow my planned accordingly throughout the week.
5. Do you have any study tips?
Yes. My number one study tip is to search for your professor in ‘ratemyprofessor’ and find out what other students have to say about the professor and what these professors often focus on in their exams. This will give you a good idea on what you might want to focus on. I’ve found this very helpful in past classes, especially for non-STEM courses. For STEM courses, however, I’ve found from experience and from talking with other STEM majors that doing most if not all book problems is usually the best way to study. Also, find the time that you’re the most awake/focus and take short breaks when needed to make studying less gruesome.
6. Have you met anyone with the same hectic schedule as yourself?
Yes. I have a couple of friends that work and are also full time students. Their struggles are similar, but we all try our best to keep each other motivated and be there for each other when things become a little too difficult to deal with alone.
7. Do you feel the end goal makes the struggle worth it?
I really hope so. My current goal is to get into a Physician Assistant program after graduation, but I won’t be able to do that if I don’t get through these classes first. Having an end goal is definitely a good motivator to getting through the struggle of being a full time student, having a part time job, and maintaining a social life.