Summer is over for me and I am in full school mode.

This means long days and long nights doing class work, studying, working and maintaining a social life.

I am profoundly proud of myself for creating this balance during my first three years in undergrad. It has not always been easy but with remarkable effort, I did it and continue to.

It is all about a balance.

This semester is off to a great start because I have established a balance when it comes to my schedule and school work.

First, I think it is important to make a schedule, personally I use excel and a planner. This allows me to outline my classes, work hours, study hours, and personal time for myself. Additionally, I mark down assignments and projects that need to be done that can be organized.

I made it a goal to not stress or become overwhelmed with work, I find it draining and insufficient to get things done otherwise. With this, I have made sure I am completing assignments ahead of time and not the night before. I do this by marking assignments a week early in my planner so that I can be sure to work on them.

The first couple weeks have flown by this semester and I barely noticed. I have been working a lot and noticed I need to still be social with my friends.

The adult life just drags us in if we don't set a balance for ourselves, we lose opportunities to create memories and to enjoy our friendships.

I am in my final year of undergrad and I am reminded that time is of the essence. That's not daunting, it's just life and we really should be making the best out of every moment God blesses us with.

Naturally, I am making time for my friends and even building new friendships during the process. Our relationships with others matter, so we should invest our time into them.

Overall, it's been busy and I don't expect time to slow down. Yet, I hope to continue to strive with the balance I am creating during my day to day life.