Dear International Students,

College is hard enough but being an international student is a different kind of difficult. The limitations are frustrating and mostly ridiculous but necessary.  I went through this my first and second semester and trust me, I understand. We have questions like how do we get a job when we finally get the job, we try to balance being a full-time student and a part-time job. I found a way to balance my life but I feel like a hypocrite telling you how I did it because I am convinced they will not work for me this semester, although that might be related to the 15credits my insane self is taking this semester.

It’s been established that I am out of my mind and take on a little to much. I blog, work as an ambassador, take 6 classes and work 20hrs/week. The good thing is, it wasn’t always like this. my first spring semester at CCBC, I wasn’t working and had classes on MWF. I studied like a maniac all Tuesdays and Thursdays. I miss that. you would always find me in the library doing something. Out of a little bit of boredom, and a lot of interest, I applied to the honors program, student life and Barnes and Noble. I got all the positions and umm that is where my life took a huge turn. I started my job the week of spring 2018 final (I had just 1 final… good times). I started loving my job like it was my life, now? well, let’s not get into that either. I worked every weekday that summer while taking A&P, and we all know how that went. My ambassador job started in the fall, well 2 weeks before the semester started (which was pretty much my two weeks break between the end of my summer class and the start of my fall semester).  I worked at the enrollment services in the morning  (loved it) and the cafe in the afternoon and vice versa.

The first week of the fall was rocky, busy and omg I worked crazy hours and I honestly thought I would fail my classes (spoiler alert; I did not). This semester was definitely going to be different, so I had to find a new normal. I had classes every weekday (huge huge mistake… do not do that to yourself). I worked a lot less as the semester progressed, and studied every free time I got. I used to work till 7:00 pm so I would go to the library after work and study until they closed every day. I was so scared of failing that I literally studied in my sleep. When I wasn’t in class, I was either working as a cafe server, ambassador or a full-time student.

As international students, they tell you not to work over 20hrs and we think to ourselves; “that is freaking ridiculous”.  I said they are necessary because I know for a fact that without my fear being my motivation, I would probably fail again and again. It helps us keep track of school and life, so if you want to work and are confused about how to balance or can’t find a way to balance both, don’t do it. sometimes, it just isn’t possible to juggle everything, especially if you cherish your social life. My social life is literally limited to my daily 30 minutes Instagram and snap chat check before I sleep at 1 am. I get zero sleep but I am perfectly fine with it. I am on the Dean’s list for the second time, the first time being my spring 2018 semester and I say this in the most humble way possible, my GPA cannot get any better. it is really really hard to keep up but I believe with the right motivation, the sky is your limit.

Lastly, it’s connect fest week and I hope you are having fun learning about pathways and clubs/ organizations. Today is the day for Essex’s connect fest at 11:00- 1:30 and 5:00-6:30, and I am so excited because I get to tell you face to face how much I love being an ambassador. It truly is my favorite thing to do.