by Bhavpreet Saini
Let me be clear, none of these commitments individually have caused me any hardships; they have been amazing, but collectively they’re a whole other beast. So discussing them as separate parts will be to no avail, but talking about them as a coherent whole, that’s where the problem lies. This is my first true internship, and this is the first time I’ve had a job, school, and a friendship associated with it. It has definitely been a difficult time, even to the point where I was on the verge of quitting my job, but now I believe I have the necessities to balance all of these things sorted out.
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On a side note, the internship in itself has been excellent. I've been making progress, have a good idea on where I'd like to go with the project, and have started doing the research. I've received a lot of help from my supervisor, who has helped guide me in the right direction and given me access to the necessary materials and other faculty members that can be of help. Aslong as I can continue to manage my time efficiently, and balance my commitments, everything will go smoothly.
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There have been a handful of times when I felt as though I was not giving everything equal attention, I would like to focus on one week specifically, the first week of October. This was the week after my LSAT, when I had finally written it, and everything that I had been putting off because of the intensity of the studying required for the LSAT, came to the forefront. I was hit with an increased amount of hours at work, multiple midterms, a birthday of a close friends that I needed to plan for, and the realization that I really needed to make greater progress with my internship. I felt stalled, as though everything was at a standstill because I was so focused on the LSAT. It even got to a point where I felt as though I had no option but to give in my two weeks notice at work, as though otherwise I would not be able to work on everything that I needed to without jeapordizing the quality of each. And then it hit me, I could do this, all I needed was to come up with a game plan:
Time Management: This is something we are insensitive too, we hear it far too often and thus don’t give it enough attention. But time management is paramount; set goals, set schedules, set deadlines for work, even if they aren’t the actual deadlines. This allows you to manage your different commitments effectively.
Planner: I cannot stress this enough, I have always felt as though a calendar is pointless, that I can remember my own deadlines by myself. A calendar has always felt unnecessary to me, as though I am relying on this unneeded entity in my daily life. But after using one, I have understood how useful it can be. It’s less about relying on it, and more about not having to worry about one aspect of an already hectic daily life. Calendars are useful, and they ensure that you don’t miss deadlines and keep up with your commitments.
Limits: It is imperative to know what your limits are. It is easy to constantly say yes to every task that is thrown upon you without realizing that you won’t be able to handle everything when all your commitments require your attention. You need to know when to say that that’s enough, I cannot take any more work, without jeopardizing the quality of the work I’m doing. Stay within your limits, and you will find it easier to manage your commitments properly.
The picture you see above is of me at dinner with a friend, this dinner, and the celebration associated with it, was another commitment that took time to plan. It was one of the things i had to manage alongside the others, and that the pointers above helped me with drastically. As funny as it may sound, maintaining a life can be hard, but following some of these simple steps can make the whole process a lot easier.
Stay tuned for more!