Don’t burn yourself out. A reflection on my Second Year of University.

It’s the end of my second year of university. PARTY.

I got there… eventually.

This year of university has been the most jam packed, busy, controversial, stressful, tiring and eye opening experience of my life. I call it an experience because I signed up for it, I want to succeed through undertaking it and it really is changing my life and they way I will be moving forward in the future.

In saying that, there are many things I would rather not have done these past two semesters with the quote ‘work smarter not harder’ ringing true in many cases. The reason I’m writing this is so that I don’t get stuck in my own head, saying that ‘this is the be all and end all’ and ‘do it or you’ll fail at everything else in your life.’ No. Not anymore. I don’t want to think like students doing the HSC (which is inherently stupid by the way).

With these tips, I hope my third year can be the best year possible.

Don’t burn yourself out, keeping study as the most important commitment.

You’re PAYING to study! Why make it your last priority where you’ll regret these years pass by. Do your best like you know you want to and don’t procrastinate because (Kris really likes to procrastinate) you’ll be so much happier at the end knowing you’ve given it your all.

Make sure that these other commitments such as friends, work and internships don’t get in the way of study, at the end of the day, the only thing that is truly secure is that piece of paper that we get at the end of our degree.

This year was interesting. I wanted to make sure I got everything I wanted to achieve done before I hit third year. What a mistake. In second semester I was juggling two jobs (writing and retail), an internship (two days at M&C Saatchi) and full time university while also given the opportunity to study at SSE’s pilot Entrepreneurship program. I was stressed to the max, never giving myself a chance to stop and have a break. It was mentally and physically EXHAUSTING and I have no clue how I managed it.

Halfway through the semester I was broken, I couldn’t focus on anything. It was just too much and by the end, I was doing all nighters trying to finish off exams, having work the next day while my internship was calling me for favours. It was so much, and I just had no time.

If I’ve learned anything, it is to become more motivated, more energetic with my goals for my professional future in the creative industry. This will help build clarity towards my own future and in turn (hopefully) happiness.

Be open to every opportunity possibly, but don’t be afraid to turn them down.

I made this year the year I would say ‘Yes’ to everything, I would not be afraid, just say the word Y-E-S. It helped me find opportunities that I would never have found and accomplish things that I never would have. That one silly word changed my 2017 for better and for worse.

For better: I was able to accomplish so much.

• Become a writer for Chattr.
• Get the opportunity to work as a media assistant for the SWPYF.
• Got to work at Hidden Characters for three months.
• Achieved my best grades at university.
• Graduated from the Sydney School of Entrepreneurship.
• Be congratulated for working at my retail job for over a year.

For worse: I took on WAY to much that it burned me out.

The reason that I wanted to take on all these things is not because of the word yes being terrifying to me prior, I was fearful of what would happen if I said the word ‘no’. In hindsight, I would say that worrying about the future is similar to being fickle, there will always be time to do things in the future, spreading yourselves evenly across multiple commitments is key.

Taking on the right opportunities is also key, there is no point wasting time with things that won’t benefit you or the future line of work which will assist you. It sounds lazy, but trust me, when you want a break and can’t have one, it’s the worst.

Let yourself become enveloped in uni activties and stick with friends who support you and the goals you aspire to achieve.

This is so important. Having individuals around you who love, support and understand your aspirations in life is of the utmost importance. The support system which we surround ourselves in allow us to be vulnerable, honest and share our highs and lows with emphasis on the lows.

I made so many good friends these past two sessions, probably who will last for my life time. They’re like minded and supportive, just the ones you need to keep going when you’re stuck. I’m so glad I had them throughout this year.

As we have learned, becoming content with failure and bouncing back from this is key to becoming successful, however, I strong support network who is willing to listen is just as important. These people who you see outside of work, uni, etc will be there to assist you in your endeavors forever, so keep them close.

Make sure you know what you want to do

No pressure but this is also detrimental for your bank account and time. Understand which path to take with your degree, hone in on it and practice those skills to be the best that you can be. Always try your hardest and become motivated to be the best you.

Don’t waste time at university doing subjects that wont assist in the learning you wish to achieve and the goals you aspire to reach. It was only in this year that I finally understood where I would take my career in the future, however, this could also be subject to change.

Having a clear image of what you want to do is hard, so start broad and hone it down, otherwise, HECS aint gonna be very kind to y’all.

You’ll also feel so much better about the work that you’re doing. You’ll find it enjoyable to to the work, become inspired and motivated.

And, finally, take time for you.

Rest. Relax. Make sure you’re okay. Then smash the fucking heck out of all the things you gotta do because YOU’RE A SUPERSTAR.

Take time to recognise your accomplishments, after a year of hard work, it’s about time you looked back and have seen how far you’ve come.

Special thanks to the BCM311 cohort of 2017. I am so happy that I enrolled in that class as it has assisted me not only in my narrative writing, but in understanding the values of others and my own values. I have begun to understand how important it is to be authentic, an individual and transparent with myself and others. Thank you all.

Lows:

• Struggling with time management.
• Needing relaxation.
• Crisis of not knowing where my career was headed.
• Letting stress and anxiety take over at some points.
• Trying to fight against procrastination and losing.

Highs:

• First Sem: No Credits. One HD.
• Made my own film which I was super happy with.
• Found my love for PR and Social Media.
• Second Sem: HD’s in three subjects. Credit in one.
• BCM311 as the best subject I’ve ever taken.
• Internships galore this sem.
• Meeting so many wonderful people in the industry.
• Graduating from SSE.
• All the #BCM311 blog posts that I am so proud of writing.
• Becoming an individual who fights for what they believe in.

~krisesandchrosses~