Written by Maddie Brennan
Coming into uni, I honestly thought life would slow down a little. I imagined I’d go to class, study a bit, make some new friends, and somehow have heaps of free time to relax. Looking back now, that idea is actually so funny.
In reality, uni has been anything but slow.
Studying physiotherapy means there is always something to do—lectures, practicals, assignments, and trying to stay on top of the content before exams sneak up on you. It feels like life is constantly moving and most weeks I’m just trying to keep up.
Soccer is one of those things that keeps me sane, even though it also adds to the chaos. Our team is definitely about having fun but I’m naturally competitive, so once game day comes around, I’m all in haha. Training, games, recovery—it all takes time, but it is also one of the best parts of my week because it gives me something outside of uni and work to focus on.
I think the hardest part of balancing everything is the feeling that there is never enough time. You can be studying and feel like you should be at work. You can be at work thinking about the gym. You can be out with friends stressing about an assignment due next week. Even when you are relaxing, it doesn’t always feel relaxing because your brain is somewhere else.
And then there is the FOMO.
That is probably one of the biggest challenges. Wanting to do everything, say yes to every plan, keep every friendship strong, stay on top of uni, train properly, work enough shifts, visit family, and still sleep enough—it is impossible. But somehow, it still feels like you should be able to manage it all.
Living away from home adds another layer to it. Keeping up with family and friends from home can be really hard when life gets busy. You realise quickly that relationships take effort. It is easy to get caught up in your own routine and suddenly notice you haven’t called home properly in weeks.
That part can be hard, because even though uni brings new people and experiences, you still want to hold onto the people who knew you before all of this.
I used to think being productive meant being busy all the time, but I’m starting to realise that balance is more about knowing when to slow down. Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is skip one thing, rest, and stop feeling guilty about it.
Uni life is definitely not the relaxed lifestyle I imagined, but honestly, I think that’s the best part about it. It is busy, messy, stressful, and sometimes overwhelming—but it is also full of growth, good people, and moments that make it all worth it.
I’m still figuring it out, but maybe that’s the whole point.
Charlie blog is a SSAF initiative.
