Check out this post, from the archives, written by Sidra Siddiqui Feb. 2020. With the COVID-19 pandemic disruptions, we never got a chance to give this post the shine it deserves. Sidra is now an Alumna of the HiED masters program.


This year, my second (and final) year in the Higher Ed program, I’ve been balancing a graduate assistant position, a graduate intern position and my coursework for our program. Alongside that, I am learning what it takes to raise a toddler. This year has been a study in balance for me and I’ve curated a few tips and tricks to share with my peers 

Write Everything Down! I have one Google calendar for myself, and one for family. I put everything on this calendar. I even write down when the trash needs to be taken out. I have three roles, two as a professional and one as a student, and about five emails that I need to be checking in any given work week. There needs to be a place where everything is written down, so that I can anticipate what is coming next. For larger projects, my partner and I use Trello to organize who needs to be doing which task. Sticky Notes are also something I use often to organize my thoughts. You can pull up your personal sticky notes account on different devices as well.  

Use Your Phone: This is not for everyone. really like being aware of who is trying to reach me, and I like receiving emails on my phone. Because I have 4 email accounts I check regularly, and one I must check semi-regularly, it is nice to know when I have emails to check. The Outlook app is great for this, because it keeps all my email accounts in one place. I also use my phone for calendar reminders, alarms and task reminders.  

Different Learning Styles: I’ve never thought of myself as an auditory learner, but I became one during my years in the program! A few of the books that were required for Higher Ed law were available on Libby, a library app that has e-books anaudio books available if you have a library card and a participating library nearby. Because of my long commutes (approximately 2 hours a day), it was important for me to figure out a way I could use that time wisely, and so listening to my reading material helped me focus on classwork and save time.  

Online Access to Documents: As a member of the Minnstate system, I have access to OneDrive, and I use this to save my important/academic documents. This way, I have access to them whether I’m at home, at one institution, or at my other institution. One of the things I love doing is having one To-Do list that outlines all tasks for work (both of my jobs), so that I know what needs to be prioritized. This to-do list also helps me keep my calendar up to date. For my GA position, I work from home one day a week, so having OneDrive has been a great way to access work documents from any space.  

Family + Friends: If you are fortunate enough to have family, or friends like family around you, use them to your advantage! There have been a few weeks during my two years as a master’s student that I’ve had to fly my mother in to babysit because I had no other choice. I tend to travel a lot because of being so far from family, so Thrifty Traveler has become a must-follow. If you have a partner, give them some of your personal tasks or responsibilities because you can’t do everything, even if your Type-A mind is telling you that you can. I have been horrible at that this year, because I tend to want to control every aspect of my life. However, sometimes you just need to give up control. Facebook groups were one way that I connected with people in my community, and where I found my current babysitter. It was important to me for my son to spend time with people who spoke my language and understood my culture, and so a Facebook group for Pakistani families living in the Twin Cities ended up being a great place where I was able to find suggestions for all kinds of things. There seems to be a Facebook Group for everything. 

Schedule time each week to do something that gives you joy! I can’t express how important this has been for me during these two years. Having something to look forward to at the end of a long week has gotten me through so many difficult weeks. This can be a brunch with friends, a movie night, or something bigger like a weekend get away with your partner. It can be something way smaller too, like putting aside time to cook a meal that you love. I also love reading, so I tend to listen to interesting novels through Libby, to give myself some time to de-stress from all the heavy academic content I get from my courses. Whatever it is, make sure it is something you do just for yourself, and your mental and/or physical well-being.

Sidra Siddiqui is was s second-year graduate student at St. Cloud State University, and worked as a Graduate Assistant in the Center for Doctoral Studies office and as a Graduate Intern at Normandale Community College’s Center for Experiential Education during the time of post writing (approx. one year ago today). 

443 thoughts on “From the Pre-Covid Archives: “Work-Life Balance” by Sidra Siddiqui

  1. Table of Contents Toggle About Vaishno Devi Temple Perfect Season for Mata Vaishno Devi Journey March to June December to February June to September How To Visit Vaishno Devi? Tips for a comfortable Yatra Try the Night Trek for Peace Visit Bhairon Temple after Darshan Apply mustard oil before trekking Check the Weather Frequently Asked Questions Conclusion About Vaishno Devi Temple Vaishno Devi is a popular Hindu Goddess who lives in a special cave in the Trikuta Mountains of Jammu. helicopter booking vaishno devi price

  2. This topic is usually explained in a very confusing way on other blogs, but your article made everything clear. I appreciate the examples and the structure you used. Subscribed for more content! 잠실가라오케

  3. Table of Contents Toggle About Vaishno Devi Temple Perfect Season for Mata Vaishno Devi Journey March to June December to February June to September How To Visit Vaishno Devi? Tips for a comfortable Yatra Try the Night Trek for Peace Visit Bhairon Temple after Darshan Apply mustard oil before trekking Check the Weather Frequently Asked Questions Conclusion About Vaishno Devi Temple Vaishno Devi is a popular Hindu Goddess who lives in a special cave in the Trikuta Mountains of Jammu. helicopter booking vaishno devi price

  4. Hengongbet(https://www.hengongbetofficial.com) is Malaysia’s contemporary online entertainment platform, partnering with trusted providers in Malaysia to provide engaging gaming experience to players with advanced technology and 24/7 professional services.

  5. While many people consider Mata Vaishno Devi to be a form of Goddess Parvati or Goddess Durga, ancient scriptures also believe that Mata Vaishno Devi is a culminated incarnation of Goddess Kali, Goddess Saraswati and Goddess Lakshmi. katra vaishno devi helicopter

  6. you are a very good person able to think analytically The content has always been good. No matter how many times I want to read an article Your story will be one of my thoughts. that i must read 123win

  7. What do you want to write now? I’m ready to read everything. Because I’m amazed at the thoughtfulness of your readership. what kind of readers want. You are really good at never stopping developing your ideas to be able to write interesting articles for people to read. 123bet

  8. Thanks for publishing such valuable insights. Most people talk about the problem, but you actually provided actionable solutions. That’s what makes your content stand out. Keep posting more like this! 강남가라오케

  9. KaoGuTi是個能夠加速你通過GIAC GEIR認證考試的網站。我們的GIAC GEIR 認證考試的考古題是KaoGuTi的專家不斷研究出來的。當你還在為通過GIAC GEIR 認證考試而奮鬥時,選擇KaoGuTi的GIAC GEIR 認證考試的最新考古題將給你的復習備考帶來很大的幫助。

  10. I would like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in penning this website. I’m hoping to view the same high-grade content from you in the future as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my very own website now.
    123fox

  11. I love the uplifting style of this work It feels inspiring motivating and enjoyable while leaving the audience positive happy and satisfied after engaging with the content.
    factorbet

  12. This content was exactly what I needed to read today. It’s full of practical and valuable insights. I’ll share it with others and keep following your great work.มั่งมี 168

  13. Your article made the topic easy to understand and inspiring to learn. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I’ll share it and stay connected for more updates.หวยฮิต88

  14. I’m a new pertaining to almost all of the articles or blog posts, My spouse and i definitely savored, I’d personally genuinely like additional files with regards to this specific, since it can be okay., Congratulations for the purpose of putting up. 해외축구중계

  15. There are specific dissertation web-sites by using the online world to build safeguarded web saved with your website online. idamantoto

  16. Salesforce인증 Financial-Services-Cloud시험에 도전하고 싶으시다면 최강 시험패스율로 유명한DumpTOP의 Salesforce인증 Financial-Services-Cloud덤프로 시험공부를 해보세요. 시간절약은 물론이고 가격도 착해서 간단한 시험패스에 딱 좋은 선택입니다. Salesforce 인증Financial-Services-Cloud시험출제경향을 퍼펙트하게 연구하여DumpTOP에서는Salesforce 인증Financial-Services-Cloud시험대비덤프를 출시하였습니다. DumpTOP제품은 고객님의 IT자격증 취득의 앞길을 훤히 비추어드립니다.

  17. This instagram video download works smoothly and saves videos in excellent quality. The interface is user-friendly and requires no registration. It’s a reliable tool for downloading reels, posts, and videos quickly for offline use anytime.

  18. hey there and thank you for your information – I have definitely picked up something new from right here. I did however expertise several technical issues using this website, since I experienced to reload the site lots of times previous to I could get it to load correctly. I had been wondering if your hosting is OK? Not that I am complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will often affect your placement in google and can damage your quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords. Anyway I am adding this RSS to my e-mail and could look out for a lot more of your respective exciting content. Ensure that you update this again very soon.. 스포츠중계

  19. I’m so thankful for your article, it was a real game-changer. The Latest C_THR97_2505 braindumps pdf questions were instrumental in my promotion and raise, and I’m sharing them with you today at no cost!

Leave a Reply to หวยฮิต88 Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *