My Plate

You would probably hear all university students say this, but I am busy…like really busy…like extremely busy… my plate is always full. I always have things to do but not enough time. However, I love keeping myself busy and I love to fill up my plate. Doing so keeps me motivated to keep working hard. It’s just simply who I am. That being said, my plate can only hold so much; I can only add so much things into my schedule before I start to burn out.

On one side of my plate, I have a huge chunk saved for my academics. Being someone who would like to attend medical school one day, I place a high degree of priority on my academics and constantly worry about keeping my GPA as high as possible. Anything below a certain threshold makes me anxious. I always prioritize getting my things done, not leaving anything to the last minute, and making sure I put my complete effort into school whether it is assignments, studying, or class.

Then there’s another portion of my plate reserved for clubs and extra curriculars. My clubs are an important representation of who I am, and my interests. Finding an even balance between all my clubs: QBPA, QSDP, SFTC, BP and volunteering at PCH, all while reaching my maximum potential remains an ongoing challenge. While I have found a rhythm that allows me to succeed in this balancing act, it does become mentally exhausting to balance them all while also focusing on school.

Then there comes work. Coming from a position of financial difficulty, it’s really important for me to work and save money. I hate putting school expenses on my parents because I feel that it’s a huge burden on them. Therefore, I try my hardest to limit that by working, saving up, and taking care of as much of my school and life expenses as I can. Working at ASUS, StuCon, and at a bar on my weekends present additional food on my plate that I have to deal with, thus presenting yet another stressor in my life.

Finally, there’s my social life. I’m a very family and friend-oriented person, meaning that I greatly value my social life. Being able to support my family and friends while dealing with the rest of my plate remains a challenge I face today. Then there come my friends: my friends here in Kingston who I love, and the ones back home that I miss so much. My friends provide a sense of support that I need to keep myself going, and I do my best to return this support. Finally, there’s my girlfriend who I deeply love and care for. Family, friends, girlfriend… I love them all so much and they play a strong supporting role in my life, but adding them on to my plate doesn’t make things easier at all. But being a family and friend-oriented person means I equally value these people with everything else on my plate, all of them needing time - time I just do not have.

So, what does this mean…how do I deal with this? This year I’ve found a new appreciation for efficiency and focus. I have adapted a motto of leaving the books in the library, and my friends outside of it. When I am studying, I dedicate all my focus to studying, allowing myself to get through things more efficiently, thus, allowing time for my clubs, my social life, and to work. Though it can be overwhelming sometimes, I just take that as a sign to take a break, clear my head and refocus, because I know that at the end of the day, I will get through it all. So yeah, my plate is really full…it may even be too full. Well that’s fine, because whatever else life throws on my plate, I know I’ll be able to handle it.