Being in college and living on campus, you encounter a unique challenge you haven't really had to before, and that is balancing social and professional life.

Understanding that you don't want to prioritize your social life and put your school work first, it still becomes an issue when you are trying to get work done, but friends are constantly making plans. Being a very extroverted and social person like myself, it was always hard to say no when that is all you want to do and when you have major 'FOMO.'

I also felt bad whenever I thought of saying no, especially when I am fully aware that I don't have the time or the energy to hang out, I still made myself go.

It really didn't hit me until this past summer. Believe it or not, a card reader read me and told me that this was my biggest issue. I don't depend on readings, spirits, horoscopes, and superstitions, but this seemed pretty legit. She said to me that I have all of the potential to be successful, but what was in the way of it all was that I put others before my own needs and that I never give any time to myself.

I knew I had to learn how to say no, no matter how difficult it was.

Saying no to having a good time with friends seemed impossible to me. My mentality was that if I were to say no, especially more than once, I might seem like I'm distancing myself from them or not seem like I want to be their friend anymore which is totally not the case. I ended up writing out a paragraph text at one point and explained how I'm a sophomore now, and school isn't as easy as freshman year, and I have other things to put first and all that jazz. They were all super understanding and got my drift.

It ended up being a wake-up call for them as well.

After learning how to say no, I have become so much better at time management and getting all my work done without being nearly as stressed out. I have made time to network with so many people and do more extracurricular work, and even make some new friends along the way, it was all so worth it. I feel more mature and confident in keeping relationships as well as managing my school work, being a well-rounded student.

Saying no can suck, but it helps you take care of you first.