Balancing work & school

take time to care for yourself, to care for the health of the planet.

- Bodhi patil

Balancing various commitments is a skill that we are all continually learning how to do better throughout our lives, but balancing school with the open-ended and unique work of being an advocate requires a special ability. Despite it being difficult, it is an incredibly important balance to curate and retain.

These following tips aren’t just applicable to school and ocean advocacy - there are plenty of other jobs, opportunities, and activities that require a similar balancing act. Oftentimes, it will be a balancing act between more than simply work and school, making these tips even more important.

hear from bodhi

Listen to Bodhi Patil, UN ocean climate solutionist, share how he balances attending university full-time with being a young advocate.

More about bodhi

success strategies

  • Talk to your teachers & professors about what you’re doing

    Occasionally more-open ended school projects can be combined with your advocacy work.

  • Do your advocacy work seasonally

    These issues aren’t going anywhere - it is totally fine to simply work on them during school holidays or calmer times of the year.

  • Set boundaries and reasonable expectations for yourself

    You can’t do it all right now, so it’s okay if you have to say no to some things.

  • Communicate with adults in advocacy

    Many adults who are supporting youth in this space don’t always know the confines of a normal school schedule. If possible, ask for meetings to be adjusted to after-school hours, ask for more flexibility during exams/finals, and try to make sure they are aware of the balance you’re trying to maintain.