Living a balanced life in PA school is much more than getting good grades. It’s about ensuring your significant other is not neglected, keeping up with family and friends, not overlooking your health, eating a healthy diet, staying physically active, and feeding your mental health. All of which is very easy to forget when exams begin to rolling in, lectures piling up, and regardless of how many hours of studying you do, you still feel behind–you begin to feel like nothing else matters.
Finding a balance maybe one of the most challenging tasks you will face during PA school. Much like all health professions, it’s a never-ending process of learning and improving. During the beginning of PA school, it can seem like the most challenging feat, because of the sheer shock of being in a new role, intense program, new location, lack of friends, and myriad of due dates. Most likely, you didn’t know what exactly to expect, but ready or not it’s happening.
Creating strategies and routines to prevent falling behind is the first step to balancing life in PA school. Without effective strategies or routines, you will begin waste your precious time. One of my favorite professors would always say, “Time is your most precious resource,” and he is absolutely correct. You have 24 hours in a day and how you invest your time will dictate what you can accomplish.
I personally sacrifice getting A’s to ensure that I am not neglecting my girlfriend. This does not mean I am slacking off or not learning. I learn from my mistakes the most.
