When I was in high school, I felt so busy all the time. I had a job, drama rehearsals after school and a bit of homework to keep up with. One day my drama teacher told our class that “if you think you are busy now, it does not get any better”. Admittedly I knew then that I was going to be busy in university but I also was innocent enough to think that it would not feel like work because I would be doing what I loved (and I had a whole hour between all of my classes). I remember telling my mom, when I made my first university schedule, that I had enough breaks to get all my homework done on campus. I was wrong on two counts. Breaks in my day were not long enough to do all my work and I did not solely dedicate myself to school. In my first year, I joined a sorority, maintained my part time job, and worked on a drama scene outside of my class rehearsals. In my second year, I took an executive position in my sorority, directed a Christmas play at my church, kept my job, and did more acting projects outside of class. Third year has been going about the same. Despite all these responsibilities in my scheduling that are not class work, I do not feel as though I have been hindered in my schooling; rather it has made me a better student.
I have learnt the crucial skill of time management, something that I didn’t really have to in high school. However, more than just time management, I’ve also learnt how to plan and balance my time. It took me about a month of university before I drank the Kool-Aid and invested in a day planner. This allowed me to not only keep track of my responsibilities but to find where I had more time for other pursuits. It showed me how much time I had dedicated to school work and how much time I could spend on social aspects, helping me to find the balance between the two. Visually mapping out my week calms me down and helps me manage my inevitable midterm and final season breakdowns.
Weird as it sounds, being in a sorority and thus having more responsibilities makes me a better student. University can feel all encompassing at times and you can feel like you’re drowning but having a weekly meeting with my sorority is my time to forget about school and enjoy the relationships and friendships that I have. I have people who are always there to check up on me, make sure that I am eating properly, and to remind me when I just need to take a break and watch some Netflix with them.
I am also the type of person who is motivated by time crunches. I strongly relate to the statement that “If tomorrow isn’t the due date, then today isn’t the do date”. It’s a bad habit but I truly focus best and do my best work when I feel a bit of pressure. In this way, being busy and always having a slight bit of pressure both motivates and empowers me; I’ve been slowly realizing and embracing this part of myself over my university career. That being said, the biggest struggle I have is with not feeling guilty when I take time for myself to do nothing.
Overall, I think that if my 17 year old, Grade 12 self could see me know, I would look like Superwoman to her. I’ve grown and learnt so much that cannot be taught in a class. All it took was a good day planner and the willingness to say yes to multiple things. Â
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