Maintaining your Work/Life Balance

By Emma Martin

Being at home for the past six months has been interesting and quite an adjustment. Balancing work, personal life, and schoolwork has become harder than ever, thanks to the pandemic, because we have had to move our offices into our houses, meaning we can’t leave our work at the office since the office is now the living room. For me, it has taken some time to figure out how to balance my classes, an internship, and my personal life while stuck at home, away from campus and the office, but I have found ways to enjoy my time at home.

Take breaks:

I am sure you have heard it a million times before, but taking a break from work during the day can help you balance your work life and personal life. Consider setting aside time during the day to go on a walk, go for a drive, or call a family member or friend. After the break, you’ll feel much more refreshed and productive since you will have had a change of scenery and a chance to step a way for a minute.

Time Management/Routine:

Something that I have gotten really good at during quarantine is time management. Between summer classes and an internship, I have had to manage time differently than before. Unlike previous semesters, I did not have a set schedule for when classes met, but I was fortunate to have a set schedule for when I was interning, which helped me set aside other times when I needed to be working on my summer classes. I set my weekdays so that I worked on schoolwork and interned on Monday-Thursday which meant that I could have Friday and the weekends to relax. Having a routine has been helpful when trying to make time for myself.

Talk to friends and family:

I have always found it nice to talk to friends and family about what they are up to. In times like these, it can be hard to connect with others since we can’t physically be together, but a phone call or FaceTime call can take your mind off of work for a while. If you can’t talk on the phone, shoot them a text to let them know that you’re thinking of them!

Turn off your phone:

This is something that I need to get better at doing since I use my phone all the time. Before I go to bed, I turn it on Airplane mode so that I don’t get any notifications until my alarm goes off and I am ready to start my workday. Something I have learned while interning is to turn off notifications after you are done with the workday. Constant emails and notifications can be overwhelming when you are trying to have time for yourself. It’s easy for me to get wrapped up in what is happening after hours when I have notifications on.

How I Balance School and an Internship

by Emma Martin

The new year motto is always “New year, New Me!” but we all know that’s easier said than done. Going into the year of everything new: a new decade, new classes, a new internship, I had to find the balance between being a full-time student and having an internship for the first time. It has been such a rewarding experience but that does not go without struggling a little. Here are a few practices that have helped me navigate my new normal and some that I need to work on!

Time Management 

I am learning more about myself each day as I juggle my classes and interning at an artist management company. This is the first time I am having to focus my energy on two completely different settings that are equally important to me. I manage my time by being 100% present while I am interning and only thinking about what I can do to help Olivia Management. While I am in my classes, I try my best to focus and learn as much as I can. When I am not in class or at the office, I am studying and putting my energy towards school and extra-curricular activities. 

Organization 

Staying organized really helps me when I have a lot on my plate. I write everything down in my calendar and I list my tasks that I need to get done in order of priority. This is something that I have always done as a student and now I am doing it for my internship. It helps me organize my thoughts, so I don’t feel so overwhelmed. For me, it’s the best feeling in the world to be able to cross things off of a list. I also take some time every weekend to sit down and plan out my week. I usually look at what assignments are due that week and schedule time for when I am going to get assignments done. 

Struggles

Of course, I try my best to be on top of everything and accomplish my goals, but it hasn’t been easy. Something that has been difficult for me is knowing when to transition from being in the college environment to being in the workplace and vice versa. I am only interning at the office two days a week, but I find it hard to switch my mind back to student mode when I walk out the door to go back to campus. I am still figuring out how to dedicate myself 100% to school and Olivia Management and still be able to succeed at both.

The Support 

Everyone at Olivia Management has been extremely supportive and kind. They’ve helped me feel like I am more than capable of succeeding at being a good intern and student. My friends have also been a huge help in reminding me that I can still have fun and make mistakes as both a college student and an intern.