Everyone who has a busy schedule can testify that striking a balance between school and work is not an easy task to undertake. That is even more true for students who attend both work and school full-time. Waking up to make that 8:00am class and then soon after that finishes, having to report to work immediately, and then right after that, having to attend that 6:00pm class that runs all the way to 9:00pm. Going through this hectic maze every week requires a high level of motivation, energy, and perseverance. I am not talking about some imaginary situation here, this is actually what I have to deal with for the four final months of my degree in Public Health Science with the University of Maryland College Park at the Universities at Shady Grove. As challenging as it may sound, I had to endure the past three semesters with a similar schedule.   Now, ask me how I do it and.

There is a lot of things involved here! I could not have ever done this without the unwavering support and motivation of my beautiful and ever loving girlfriend Tee. Every time I start to feel a little exhausted she will encourage me to keep going and push through the sleepiness and exhaustion. “You’re almost done sweetie, keep going, and don’t you give up Chris!” she says.   Somehow I regain my energy and emerge stronger than before. Through her, I have learnt that, it is through our challenging times that our true character surfaces.

Even with my crazy schedule, I make sure that every night before I go to sleep, I meditate for about ten minutes. This is something that I enjoy a lot because I get to disconnect my mind from all the noise and chatter that goes on in my mind all day while I am juggling school and work. This is my priceless quiet time. I concentrate only on breathing, reaching deep down into my soul, breathing life into all parts of my body, unlocking all the energy pathways that may have been disrupted throughout the busy day. I get a chance to give my brain the break it deserves. I enter into the world of imagination, expanding my horizons beyond unimaginable distant places. In this world, there are no limits, anything is achievable, no one can stop me from reaching my goals, I get everything I want, and all my worries disappear. I feel invincible. But before I know it I fall asleep and the next morning I wake up fresh and ready to start a new day of a busy schedule with enthusiasm.

Finally, exercise has always been my escape route from all the stressors involved in my busy routine. As soon as my last classes end at 9:00pm, I go straight to the gym and run on the treadmill for thirty minutes. As a public Health Science major this does not only help keep stress at bay, but it also reminds me that I have to be a role model of what a healthy young man looks like before I start to encourage others to live healthy lives. So, this perfectly fits into my public health science puzzle. If anyone is having trouble coping with a busy schedule, these three strategies may work for you. It doesn’t hurt to try right? Meditation and exercise are a little easier to tackle on your own, but finding a partner like Tee, not so much. Have a good one USG. Let’s get it done and move forward.