"Malleability and strength are what make gold strong"| An MIT Student's Advice on Balancing Life

We had the amazing opportunity of interviewing Cami, a student at MIT about: Balancing Life Cami is: a student majoring in computer science, comparative media studies, and business management an MIT admissions blogger, admissions panelist, associate advisor, the MIT 2023 Class Council vice president and a plethora of other things! Here are some important words she shares: I’m a big believer in that it’s your passions above all else, really "I like knowing when things are going to happen, but I’m able to adapt in the case that things don’t go my way." Q: How do you balance extra-curriculars with home, work, and social life? A: I manage my time via a Google calendar and I add priorities to everything I do , so if I’m feeling particularly tired and I see a piece of homework or extracurricular is pretty low effort or priority, then I’ll focus more on myself. I honestly prioritize social life a lot since it’s really important to form those meaningful connections with people and I utilize my extracurriculars as a facet for social life. Q: Are you more spontaneous and flexible or do you follow a strict schedule? A: I’d say pretty flexible, but I do adhere to a schedule . I like knowing when things are going to happen, but I’m able to adapt in the case that things don’t go my way. Q: Are you more of a multi-tasker or do you stay focused on one thing at a time? A: I say I’m a multi-tasker, but in reality, I really like to focus on one thing at a time. Q: What would you say were your priorities in high school and do you think they helped you stay focused? A: Academics and forming strong relationships ! I think befriending my teachers was a huge plus, since I was able to feel comfortable when asking questions and never felt embarrassed. Q: What is one inevitable obstacle we will all have to face in our high school career? A: Decision making . It’s hard, but high school is a good place to practice since the decisions you make don’t really carry that much weight. Q: What are some regrets that you have about your high school career? A: Stressing out too much over things that didn’t really matter. Q: How did you set your priorities in high school? A: I really valued academics and friendships a lot , just because I knew I needed to be social to live, and that I didn’t want to disappoint my teachers, so I wanted to perform well in class. Q: What have you sacrificed along the way to pursue your passions? A: Time? Arts? I used to play guitar a lot, but I definitely dedicate a lot of time to school , but I’m working on getting a handle on that again. Q: What do you think people will inevitably have to prioritize more to pursue their passion? A: I don’t think you should ever compromise your passions . I’m a big believer in that it’s your passions above all else, really. Maybe apart from other people or family or relationships. But really, at the end of the day, do what you love . Q: How did you manage to handle the stress, anxiety, and the schoolwork? A: Having good outlets to relieve stress . Guitar, Netflix, boba dates, etc. Think you know someone or are someone that can give some advice? Fill out this form here ! Have more questions based on what you’ve read? Submit them here ! Learn more about her and her experience on her LinkedIn account.