Throughout your undergraduate career, many people will ask you what your biggest accomplishment is. For me, my biggest achievement isn’t a singular moment. Rather, it has been achieving the work-life balance that allows me to excel in my courses while allowing me time to enjoy the myriad of activities that I enjoy. When you have the balance between work and play, you’re able to eliminate the ever-lingering stress that you don’t have enough time or you aren’t dedicating enough time to one or the other. There’s no guilt when you are enjoying a fun activity, and there is no depression when you are working.

This wasn’t a goal I had in mind, or even thought of, when I started university. But having taken over 18 credit hours my first two semesters, it was a necessity that I am glad I figured out. By having that freedom from stress because of that balance, I was able to participate in all the clubs and activities I wanted to while still keeping up with my studies and maintaining a parttime job. The hard part is that this balance is different for everyone and, for me, it changes with every semester. Depending on how interesting the classes are, the professors, what other activities I’m focusing on, the work load, and a bunch of other factors, changes how I balance my work with the rest of my life. But if you make a concerted effort to set aside time for your work around your other activities, this is how you can achieve this balance. But don’t worry if it takes a semester or two to figure out!

Going forward, I would like to continue to consistently and effectively balance my work, studies, and other life activities. I can imagine that this will become increasingly difficult as I proceed towards graduation, as the classes get harder and more challenging or as I do a study abroad. But I have every confidence that I can grow with my work and continue to enjoy everything that the University of Pittsburgh has to offer.