She turns off her alarm and forces herself out of bed so that she can start to work on her unfinished homework. Along with taking five core classes, Junior Nancy Tran is involved in seven clubs and works at the Lifetime Fitness Center during the week. Tran has many priorities but tries to manage her schedule as best as she can.

Tran says that her hectic schedule is hard to handle and that she has to sacrifice a lot of sleep and free time. However, Tran says that she enjoys working because she likes to have money to spend without having to ask her parents.

“I mean I do enjoy it but I think I put too much on my plate this year,” Tran said. “I do enjoy socializing with others and just getting to know people. It’s something different than just hanging out with your friends.”

Because Tran is handling both school and work, she says that she has had some help with her school work from her friends. Tran also says she stays up late on most weeknights to do her homework and her weekends are busy due to volunteer events. She goes to tutorials often in order to maintain her grades. But the hardest thing for Tran has been balancing her time.

“I think it’s starting to take a toll,” Tran said. “There’s not really a day that you have completely to yourself.”

Despite the tough schedule, Tran says that she does not want to give up and feels that other students have an even tougher time.

“It’s not like I’m alone,” Tran said. “It’s just that I’m doing something that’s different.”