COLLEGE LIFE

How to cope with the highs and lows of student life

by Aoife Parle

So I am 32-years-old and living the dream: great friends, family, husband, and my adorable little dog —Lola. I get to spend my evenings and weekends doing what I love: music and GAA. Sure what else do I need?

So in 2017, I decided that what I needed was a degree in marketing, and Griffith College was the place for me. It had it all; I could study in the evening part time and my days were free. Sure, wouldn’t that be grand altogether? The word ‘part-time’ was key here, because this meant that college would only take up part of my time, but little did I realise that so would everything else in my life. Part-time wife/friend/daughter/sister/gym-goer/ healthy-eater/socialiser… and the list goes on. How many parts did I come in? A regular jigsaw for ages 32 and up.

Studying part time was not just your evening classes; it meant study, deadlines and missing out on other things. It meant less time doing what you love and more time in the books. But with each assignment and each grade, I felt accomplished and thus hungry for more. This newfound gusto for academic achievement also became part of my life outside of work; hell I would have found ways to market my mother if I thought I would get a good grade for it. Thus began the addiction: “Yes I will meet you for coffee, but only for part of my lunch break as I have an assignment to do during it’’ and, “I can only 5 come to some of your party as I have stuff to do”. People would say, “How do you do it?” I would respond “Sure I don’t think about it. I just get it done”. This was actually not the case, as I struggled in my final year with illness and was totally run down, missing out on a lot of events outside of college. This was due to pressure I put on myself.

But I learned from my mistakes. Fast forward 2 years later, and I decided to do a masters degree —part time of course. Yes, life can be a struggle and working and studying is daunting, but we need to make sure to remind ourselves that we are human.

A full-time human. Studying part time is what it is. We need to realise that if we take one thing at a time and make time for ourselves, then we will continue to be successful in all parts of our lives. We are full-timers at life, and each part of our life needs our full attention at each significant time. My advice? Don’t be a part-time lover like Stevie Won- der suggests, love all of your life —full time. To study is a privilege, as is all the good things in life, so treat them as such. Involve your loved ones in your struggles, and I guarantee you will have a life again inside and outside college!