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How do you balance career experience outside of school and schoolwork?

I work as a therapist while in graduate school for my PhD, but I find it difficult to balance my work, jobs, and family. I work so that I can decrease the student loans I am taking out, so I can't limit my hours.

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Xin’s Answer

Hi Olivia,
Good Day!

Very good question, and brings me back to my school time (*^_^*).
Generally speaking, should track your balance weekly. If grades dip, cut back work hours. if career progress stalls, drop a low-impact class or club.

Would you like a sample weekly schedule based on your field? 😊 Just share my experience with you:

1. Time Blocking + Themed Days
Assign "Roles" to Days: Example:
Monday/Wednesday: Focus on school (attend classes, study).
Tuesday/Thursday: Work on career (internship, networking, applications).
Friday: Hybrid (light schoolwork + skill-building like coding/certificates).

Batch Similar Tasks: Group readings/lectures on one day, career-related tasks (resume updates, interviews) on another.

2. Protect Your Energy
Set Boundaries: Communicate availability to employers ("I can work 15 hrs/week during midterms").
Schedule Downtime: Block 1 day/week for rest—burnout hurts grades and job performance.

Hope these bring you some ideas.
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Roujean’s Answer

Oh wow—this really resonates with me. I’ve been in that space where you're juggling work, school, and family, and it feels like there just aren’t enough hours in the day. The truth is: you can’t add more time, and you can’t always take things off your plate. But what you can control is your mindset—and how you treat yourself in the process.

You’ve probably heard the phrase “life is a state of mind.” That’s never more true than in seasons like this one.

I recently made a video for my team about this exact feeling. (It’s on my LinkedIn if you're curious.) In it, I talk about this idea of having “cups”—family, work, school, health, friends. We want to pour equally into all of them, but some days, one cup needs more than the others—and that’s okay. Not every cup will be full at the same time, and that doesn’t mean you’re failing.

The key is to give yourself grace.

Some weeks school might take the backseat because your clients need more from you. Other weeks, your family might need more attention. When you accept that balance doesn’t mean equal, it becomes a lot easier to manage the ups and downs.

So no, you probably can’t work fewer hours right now. But you can reframe how you view the juggle. You’re doing incredibly hard and meaningful work—and investing in your future. That’s something to be proud of.

You're not behind. You’re just in a season of growth. Keep going. You got this.
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