Balancing my final year at university with an internship at the company I’d always dreamed of sounded like a cool challenge at first. It was exciting: new tasks, new people, my first real steps into professional life. For a moment, it even felt energising. Then things got more intense.
What does balancing work and studies actually look like?
At some point, I had to balance work and studies quite literally, like being on a seesaw. Once I was sitting in the office, working, while simultaneously attending an online university seminar, actively participating in the discussion, answering my lecturer’s questions, and at the same time publishing a press release (I did it for the second time in my life). Of course, I had completely forgotten about my homework. So there I was, coming up with answers on the spot, filling in content blocks, double-checking checkboxes. All at once. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it. It was intense, full of adrenaline, and for a brief moment, I felt like I could handle anything.
It worked for a moment, but lately I also understood that it couldn’t be a default feeling. Adrenaline is fine once, but it’s not worth it to make my routine look like this. Now it’s the middle of my exam session. A month of constant pressure: tight project deadlines, up to three exams a day, and work that doesn’t pause just because it’s a stressful period. And honestly, I’m scared. I catch myself worrying that I simply won’t be able to manage everything. Exam stress affects my focus at work, and the workload makes studying harder too. I know I’m not the only one who feels this way.
That’s why I want to be honest in this piece. Balancing study and work isn’t easy, and it’s definitely not perfect. But I’ve learned that it’s not as terrifying as it looks from the outside. Now I want to share what this balance really feels like and why, despite the fear, it’s more manageable than I expected.
Good ideas can be implemented everywhere
Somewhere between deadlines, seminars, and work tasks, I noticed something unexpected. A good idea doesn’t belong only to a university project or only to a work task; it belongs wherever it can actually be useful. That’s when I started consciously trying to implement new ideas and approaches across different areas of my life. For example, when I chose the topic of my bachelor’s thesis, “AI in content”, I didn’t keep it limited to academic research. In just a few minutes, I used the same idea to sketch a scenario for a brand awareness video at work. And what’s even better is that when we eventually move forward with this idea, I’ll already have solid market research on the topic thanks to my thesis work.
The exchange works both ways
While I expected my studies to support my work, I didn’t realise how much my job would start supporting my studies too. My bachelor’s thesis is my first serious academic project, and I really want to write it in a way I’ll be proud of. What makes this easier is the people around me. I work with very experienced professionals. I can simply ask for help, and they’re always ready to share their knowledge. Knowing my ambitions, my team constantly offers support: helping me with interviewees, answering questions for my research and providing professional feedback. Maybe this isn’t something unusual, but it feels so sincere and human that no AI-generated bachelor’s thesis could ever compete with mine.
My rule on priorities
Still, even with all this support, balance doesn’t look like a perfectly organised calendar. And it never really did. For me, it’s critically important not only to work and study, but also to simply live: to go out for dinner with friends, to travel, to have fun. Of course, there are moments when I don’t have enough time or energy for all of it. Sometimes I have to choose what my priority is. And I constantly face the same truth: one area of life is almost always imperfect, even when the others feel well organised.
That’s when my main insight became clear to me: all areas of life matter, but not all at the same time. Once I accepted this, I stopped being angry with myself and, more importantly, started acting differently. During exam sessions, I consciously prioritise my studies. I’ve also set a simple boundary for myself: when I’m in a lecture, I don’t answer Slack messages. Knowing that I’ve chosen my priority for that moment makes it easier to stay focused and let go of guilt.
I no longer blame myself when I skip a lecture to close work deadlines, or when I choose sleep over studying, or when exams temporarily become more important than work. What helped me a lot was the support around me. During the most intense part of my exam period, my team encouraged me to take a short vacation to focus on studying and recover mentally. It wasn’t a dramatic decision, just a human one, and it made a real difference. Balance, for me, isn’t about doing everything equally well all the time. It’s about allowing different priorities at different moments, without guilt.
I’m still learning how to balance all of this, and I don’t think there’s a final formula I’ll ever fully master. Some weeks feel calm, others feel overwhelming, and that’s okay. What matters is that I no longer see balance as something rigid or perfect. It’s a process that changes with me. And, to be honest, it changes me. I fully understand that my experience isn’t universal; not everyone has the same team or studies. But if something that works for me helps someone else feel a little less anxious, that already means a lot.
If you’re a student thinking about your first job and feeling scared that you won’t be able to handle everything at once, I want you to know this: it’s possible. Not because it’s easy, but because you grow into it, step by step, with support, honesty, and a bit of trust in yourself.