"We were not made to be machines." | A UNC-Chapel Hill Student's Advice on Balancing Life

We had the privilege of interviewing AW via Google Doc and asked for some experience about: Balancing Life AW is currently a student at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in sociology and psychology.
Here are some pieces of wisdom she shares: "I should’ve looked harder for the right people to surround myself with. " "I know my limits and it’s not healthy to be a machine so I never worked myself to death." Q: What would you say were your priorities and do you think they helped you stay focused? A: I’m Christian so I know my identity is in being God’s kid , not my accolades. The pressure to compete and achieve didn’t really hit me that hard because I knew that if I just did my best, God would do the rest. General priorities were definitely mental health and sleep, which are very closely linked. I know my limits and it’s not healthy to be a machine so I never worked myself to death. Setting healthy boundaries about studying was really important and it has served me well to this day in college. Q: What are some regrets that you have about your high school career? A: I should’ve looked harder for the right people to surround myself with. Q: How did you manage to handle the stress, anxiety, and the schoolwork? A: I did what I needed to when I had to recharge. For me it was through music . I was honest with myself about my limitations and I had a good support system that reminded me I was a lot more valuable than what I could put out in terms of grades and extracurricular contributions.