Week in my life : Is it possible to have a work-life balance in Eng?
Author: Ashleigh Warren, Chemical Engineering Level V
Have you ever wondered how much time you’d have for activities outside of school while pursuing engineering? It’s a question that often arises when I talk with prospective students. It’s no secret that engineering can be hard and the course load can seem very overwhelming and demanding. However, I want to show you that success in school can coexist with a balanced life in university because university isn’t solely about classes, homework, and studying. It’s also about the experiences and memories you create through the incredible activities and connections you make during your time here.
Let me walk you through a week in my life as a final-year Chemical Engineering student to show you how I balance classes, assignments, a part-time job, extracurriculars, friends and mental health!
Saturday
As a cast member of the McMaster Engineering Musical, I spend around 7 hours on Saturday and Sunday in the winter semester rehearsing for our production. It is an amazing creative outlet and a very welcoming space that is a great break from classes! During breaks throughout the rehearsal, I usually try to tackle assignment questions and other tasks for work. After rehearsal, I went to support some of my friends who were performing in the McMaster’s Recreational Dance Recital!
Sunday
After another tiring day of rehearsals, I needed to prioritize some rest and relaxation for my mental health. I made some homemade pretzels for snacks while watching the Super Bowl which was a nice way to de-stress. In between plays I did some work for my TA responsibilities, answered some emails and did some work on my final year Capstone project. One strategy I’ve found incredibly useful throughout university is creating lists encompassing all tasks, including the simplest ones. This way, even on nights when I need a break from more demanding schoolwork, I can still experience the satisfaction of ticking off some easier items from my to-do list.
Monday
My week kicked off with several hours of lectures, tutorials, work, and group meetings. When I have a very busy week, I like to prioritize the most important assignments or tasks that are worth more of my grade, and schedule in breaks which could include something as simple as eating lunch with friends on campus. What are some ways you manage a demanding workload at the start of a busy week? After bussing home, I took some time to make dinner since cooking is something I love to do and is a great way for me to de-stress. After dinner, I had another meeting, did some work and then did some chores around the house. Taking a few minutes on Mondays to clean my place is a good way to start the rest of my week off on a good note.
Tuesday
Tuesdays are one of my favourite days because I have a nice long break where I can get a lot of work done and be productive on campus. While studying with others can be super helpful and motivate you do work, it can also sometimes be a distraction. A tip for being productive on your own when you really need to focus is finding a location on campus that you enjoy being in. For me this is on the first floor of Thode, the Engineering and Science Library, because there is natural lighting and nice window views of outside. During this break between classes, I juggled coursework, studying, an online lecture, and taking a lunch break to watch an episode of Queer Eye, my current obsession!
Wednesday
On Wednesdays I only had four hours of classes and spent the rest of my day working on two assignments due Friday as well as studying for a midterm. It can be very difficult to spend a large portion of your day studying, but I have a few strategies I use to keep myself motivated and working well. At school I get a bit more distracted by friends and have shorter periods of time to do work which is why I like to work on something a bit less demanding or that requires a bit less deep thinking. That way, at home with fewer distractions I can spend more time on the harder or longer assignments. Rewarding myself with activities I love also helps keep me motivated and is also a great way to break up long periods of studying. What are some activities you like to do that can help rejuvenate yourself after a long study session?
Thursday
As a nice change from the last few busy days, today I took a good chunk of time to myself to revitalize my mental health. I met up with some of my family this morning for breakfast, finished up some loose ends on the assignments I had due, and did some cleaning and relaxing. For Valentines week, the McMaster Engineering Society was reimbursing some of the costs for different local activities like movie tickets, pottery and a board game café. My friends and I took a bus downtown to Locke Street to
paint some pottery at Paint with Clay and get some food. It was really nice to catch up and we had a super fun time painting our chosen pottery. It was a very lively and colourful environment and we really enjoyed all of the different options available for painting including mugs, statues and jewelry holders. Afterwards, I stopped off at campus for a quick dance review for the musical before bussing home to do some last-minute studying for my midterm tomorrow.
Friday
Today was a great end to a long week. I wrote my midterm and then hung out in the Chemical Engineering Lounge called the CSTR until my next class. The CSTR is a great spot to go to between lectures since its quite central to my other classrooms, isn’t too busy most of the time, and has a microwave! I did some group project work for my final-year Capstone project and then had three hours of lecture where one of my professors brought in donuts which was an amazing pick-me-up. I then headed home for some dinner before getting dressed and ready for a Murder Mystery Party with the musical cast. It was a super fun night hanging out with everyone outside of rehearsals and a great way to end a long week
before the reading break! How do you like to unwind after a demanding week?
I hope that reading this shed a bit of light on how you can lead a balanced life as an engineering student at McMaster. Despite the academic demands, there are ample opportunities to engage in activities outside of the
classroom. This week alone I was able to attend many fun events, see friends, attend all my classes, complete my assignments, study for midterms and take time for myself. Figuring out how to manage your time effectively is a learning curve, but I hope some of the tips and tricks I used this week can help you as you begin your academic journey after high school!
