Struggling with balancing work and academics at UC Santa Cruz - any tips?

[AcademicBulldogBear]

I transferred from a community college to save some coin, aiming to work in Silicon Valley post-grad. Super stoked for that! But lately, balancing work with my Forest Ecology, Climate Change, and Sustainable Agriculture courses is like trying to hug a cactus. Ouch! Being eco-conscious and nature-loving is rad, but dealing with homesickness is hitting me hard.

On top of that, finding housing in Santa Cruz is like finding a unicorn – impossible! And don't even get me started on balancing student activism with my career prospects. It's a juggling act I didn't sign up for. Fellow Slugs, any tips on how to ace this balancing act? How do you manage your time effectively while staying involved in student government and keeping up with academics? Also, any advice on combatting homesickness in this beautiful but sometimes isolating campus? Help a stressed-out Slug out!

 

[Califa]

Fellow Slug here—sending you a virtual banana The housing struggle is real, and balancing work with classes here (especially in such hands-on majors) can feel impossible. What helped me was time-blocking everything, including downtime, so work doesn't bleed into study time.

For homesickness—have you checked out the arboretum or just wandered the upper campus trails? Sometimes being in the redwoods reminds me why we're here. Also, the transfer community is tight-knit; don't suffer alone!