Balancing school and life can be a difficult task when one also has to juggle family, work, commitment and fun, a professor told NE students last week.

“We should be the center of these priorities, instead of juggling around them,” said radiologic technology associate professor Jeniesa Johnson during her Balancing School with Life seminar Feb. 17. “Most of us at some point in our lives will get stressed out about the things going on in our lives.”

Stress can bog one down to stagnation, hindering success, Johnson said. The balance in life is achieved by the individual, and one can find aid from family, friends, significant others and employers, she said.

Johnson explained how she has balanced school and work in her life. Managing her school schedule around her work schedule, she said, made things easier for herself so she could finish her degree. She is currently working on a doctorate in higher education and said she must balance her life to avoid stress and negativity.

“Once you make a commitment, the steps get easier,” she said.

Getting success revolves around setting goals, prioritizing goals and then working toward them, Johnson said.

“Take control,” she said. “Prioritize your goals. Every goal that you set cannot be No. 1. What do you want more?”

Johnson said one should not make goals that are not achievable or are too large. Working in increments toward something will result in better chances of success.

“You are the key,” she said. “Life will throw you a curve. Laugh a little, laugh a lot.”

— Jim Birmingham