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Continue reading →: 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting Grad SchoolThere’s a lot of advice out there about how to get into grad school and how to “do it right” once you’re there. Most of this advice focuses on productivity systems, motivation, or having a perfect CV. What I didn’t expect when I started was how much of grad school…
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Continue reading →: January Gentle ReminderIt’s the time of the year when the internet is full of “new year, new routine” content. Five workouts a week. Perfect morning rituals. Colour-coded planner. Expensive supplements. Entire lives seemingly reset overnight. Here’s a gentle reminder: what you’re seeing online is not the full picture. Nobody is suddenly maintaining…
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Continue reading →: How I’m Planning My First Full Week Back (Without Overdoing It)The first full week back after a break can feel overwhelming. Even if you rested, even if you’re motivated, there’s often pressure to “get back on track” immediately – to catch up, reset everything, and hit the ground running. This new year, I’m trying to resist that urge. Instead of…
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Continue reading →: A Week of Micro-WinsAs we move into the final push of the Fall semester, sticking to our to-do lists gets harder. We’re all ready for a well-deserved break. With that in mind, I’ve been trying to identify strategies that will help carry me through these last few weeks without burning out. One thing…
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Continue reading →: The Invisible Work of Grad School: Why You’re More Productive Than You ThinkSome weeks, I end Friday feeling completely drained – but when I look at my planner, it doesn’t look like I did that much. I didn’t finish the draft I meant to, or submit that form, or read as many articles as I planned. On paper, it looks like I…
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Continue reading →: A Realistic Approach to Weekly Planning in Grad SchoolEvery Sunday, I used to sit down with my planner and map out the “perfect week.” It always looked good on paper – colour-coded, balanced, full of motivation and good intentions. By Wednesday, the plan would inevitably fall apart. Something would take longer than expected. I’d have a last-minute meeting,…
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Continue reading →: Slow Productivity for the Overachieving Grad StudentBeing in academia means living in a culture that glorifies being busy – especially in grad school. If you’re not juggling five deadlines, three research projects, and a growing list of unanswered emails, it can start to feel like you’re falling behind. But lately I’ve been realizing: being busy isn’t…
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Continue reading →: The Myth of Catching UpIt’s mid-semester, and the pace has officially picked up. Between coursework, research, meetings, and everything else on your plate, it can start to feel like you’re always a few steps behind. That sense of racing against the clock and your to-do list can be exhausting – but somehow, it also…
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Continue reading →: When Life Gets Full (An Update About Balance After a Busy 2 Weeks)It’s been a couple of weeks since my last blog post. This is the first time I’ve missed my usual rhythm since starting Balanced Academic, and it actually wasn’t because of burnout. Life has just been full. These past two weeks have been busy – the kind of busy where…
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Continue reading →: The 1% Reset: Small Shifts for a Smoother WeekMy Sunday Reset this week is quick and simple. Instead of trying to reset everything today, I’m just focusing on 1%. Here’s the idea: you don’t always need a full overhaul to improve your week. Sometimes, a tiny adjustment is all it takes to create momentum. A 1% shift today…
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Hello,
This is Balanced Academic
A blog written by a busy grad student learning how to build a healthier & more intentional academic life. This is a space for academics who want to stay productive without burning out. Real tools. Real talk. Real balance.
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