Many students develop strategies for balancing classes, jobs and personal life. Finding that balance can be challenging, especially when responsibilities begin to overlap.
At Stan State, students navigate these demands in different ways, depending on their schedules, workloads and personal habits.
Some students build flexible schedules that help them manage school, work and personal responsibilities.
Anisha Dihla (Sophomore, Psychology) shared how having a more relaxed job helps her stay on track.
“I’m very lucky that my job isn’t too strict. I have a lot of time to do homework during my free time, so it isn’t that difficult for me compared to other people,” Dihla said.
Despite that flexibility, balancing responsibilities can still feel overwhelming, especially when coursework becomes more demanding.
“If it’s a harder class, then yeah, it can get stressful because there’s a lot of deadlines and stuff for work,” she said
Dihla also pointed to procrastination as one of her biggest challenges.
“I would say procrastination because I get really lazy sometimes, and when I do have free time, I don’t want to do my work, it’s just harder for me to get on top of it,” she said.
However, she added that stress can sometimes motivate her to stay ahead on assignments.
“I get very stressed if I don’t do stuff, although I do procrastinate, I still finish assignments a week before hand because I get stressed and things start to pile up—it helps me finish things on time,” she said.
Having a job has also changed how she manages her schedule.
“Before I had a job, I had more free time to study. Now if I’m at work, I can only study when I have free time, so it takes up time—but I manage it just fine,” she said.
Despite her busy schedule, Dihla still makes time to relax.
“When I have free time, I give myself a couple of hours to do stuff I enjoy, like playing games or reading,” she said. “I try to split that time for school work just so it’s balanced and I don’t stress myself out.”
Shelby Villa (Senior, Music) shared that having control over her schedule has made balancing responsibilities easier.
“I’m lucky enough to work as a coach at a Jr. High, so I get to set my own schedule, I do after-school percussion coaching,” Villa said.
Before the school year begins, Villa coordinates her schedule with the school’s band direction
“ I tell them what my schedule looks like and ask what times after school are we able to hold rehearsals,” she said. “Luckily, they’ve all worked with me.”
While she currently feels comfortable balancing responsibilities as a part-time student, she recalled feeling overwhelmed in the past.
“When I’ve been full-time as a music major prepping for concerts, prepping my students for competitions, and commuting everywhere, it has been overwhelming,” she said.
Villa said commuting has become one of her biggest challenges.
“As a commuting student, my biggest challenge is how much time my commute takes up; it’s 45 minutes between where I live and school,” she said.
Villa recalled a strategy she learned from her percussion instructor, Professor Downing, to help her avoid burnout.
“The best strategy I picked up from my percussion instructor is that I block out my day by half an hour, which has helped me the most with time management,” she said.
She also noted that having a job reduces the time she has for studying and practicing.
“Having a job diminishes the amount of time I’m able to study and practice because I’ve had days before where I had back-to-back classes and immediately leave in order to make it to my job,” she said.
Japjeet Kaur (Senior, Business Admin) balances her classes and her personal life by prioritizing her schoolwork.
“I prioritize my assignments, I try to finish all my assignments. When I was working, I would still prioritize my assignments and keep track of deadlines I prioritize school first,” Kaur said.
Still, balancing responsibilities can become overwhelming during busy weeks.
“Next week I have a presentation, a quiz and an exam, so it gets hard when they’re all in the same week,” she said.
Kaur also shared that school sometimes takes away from her personal life, though she remains focused on her long-term goals.
“Sometimes I feel like school takes away from my personal life, but I know it will be over soon and rewarding in the end,” she said. “I have to say no to my personal life for school.”
To stay organized, Kaur relies on planning tools.
“Staying on top of my assignments and studying has helped. A to-do list of this is what I’m going to do today, and what I need done by this day has helped me prioritize what’s important,” she said.
Even with these strategies, Kaur feels the constant push and pull between school and personal time.
“I do feel like I have time for personal activities, but at the same time and during certain times of the semester, I feel like I don’t have time, especially for certain people. I want to hang out with people, but not when I’m stressing about an upcoming assignment,” she said.
Balancing school, work and personal life remains a challenge for many students. While each student approaches it differently, time management, prioritization and flexibility play key roles in maintaining that balance.
