Briefing In

Juggling Work & School: The 007 Lifestyle

April 01, 2024 • a podcast for VAs by VAs • Season 1 • Episode 3

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Briefing In is back with our 3rd episode! This time we’re talking double life stuff with Den, a part-time VA and full time Communications and Media student. Den gets candid about what it’s like to live the 007 lifestyle, and if it really is possible to have the best of both worlds.

There’s so much more than meets the eye when it comes to balancing different priorities in life, as Den shares her insights into the daily intricacies of being a VA, discussing the excitement of stepping into this dynamic role and getting real about the sacrifices that she’s had to make, demystifying the glamorized aspects of remote work. We also do an IG Q&A segment, where Den shares tips and advice on how to balance both professional and personal lives. Listen to an enriching conversation with Den!

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) - Opening Spiel
(01:07) - Introducing Den
(02:32) - Chapter 1: Conversation with Den
(03:40) - Chapter 2: Initial experiences and pandemic influence
(07:40) - Chapter 3: Adapting to face-to-face classes
(09:50) - Chapter 4: Advice for balancing school and work
(14:37) - Chapter 5: Maintaining productivity and setting boundaries
(18:54) - Chapter 6: Pros & cons of a working student
(21:43) - Chapter 7: Education system and workforce preparation
(26:06) - Chapter 8: Romanticizing work-from-home jobs
(33:31) - Chapter 9: Disconnecting and avoiding burnout

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Intro
Hi everyone! The Briefing In Podcast is back with a new episode. If you're someone who's had to juggle school, work, and life, then you're definitely going to relate to today's guest. But if you're just a student and are currently considering taking up a part-time work-from-home job, then this episode is also for you. Tune in to learn more about what it's like for students who work as part-time VAs to give you a better idea of what you might be getting yourself into. I'm your host Chelsea, and this is Briefing In.

In the past couple of episodes, we touched on how the pandemic shifted a lot of the working class to the online space. So, to say that a wave of people joined the workforce because online jobs became more accessible and available would be an understatement. And along with that, a new population of people, mainly those who are still students or are in university, also decided to enter the workforce. So that's what I'm going to be talking about with my guest for today.

I'm very excited to be sitting down with Den to talk about how she struggled with a work-from-home job along with finishing up her degree in university. Den is someone who works in Wedding Workflows. She's been a VA for almost two years now, and although she has physical limitations that hinder her from stacking books on her head, she does quite a bit of balancing in real life.

As I mentioned earlier, she's in her last, hopefully, semester in university and she's writing up her senior thesis. She also holds two bases. So she has one in her little slice of paradise, the beautiful island of Bohol, and she also has one in the urban jungle of Cebu.

When she's not donning her school uniform or sitting in front of her computer working on her tasks for the day, she likes to free dive, a sport she picked up during the pandemic. She also loves visiting the sardines of Moalboal or the coral reefs of Napaling and Balicasag Island. She also enjoys seeing new places and trying the cuisine unique to that locality.

Some of her faves are the soya sauce chicken from Hawker Chan and mango sticky rice from the unassuming stalls in Chatuchak Market. All that being said, she still finds Filipino food to be superior and nothing beats the freshly caught crabs by her dad who cooks their dinners at home.

Chapter 1: Conversation with Den
Hi, Den. Thank you for joining me on the podcast.

Hi, Chelsea. Thanks for having me and hello to everyone listening this episode.

How are you feeling Den? How do you feel about getting to talk about your experience as a student and a part-time VA?

I'm a little nervous, but I feel like this is going to be a very interesting conversation with you.

I'm excited. So I, of course, want you to talk a bit about your time as a VA, and maybe walk us through what you do on a daily basis for your clients.

So I have been, as you've mentioned earlier, I'm almost two years now with Wedding Workflows and my daily tasks usually with my client are social media engagement. So I do Instagram engagement. Sometimes I do Pinterest and I also do blog posts for them and researching and recently we have been both of my clients who have been very busy with submitting their weddings to different publications. So exciting times.

Chapter 2: Initial Experiences and Pandemic Influence
And what were some of the things you found very exciting when you first started out then, because I, I'm aware that you were referred, you were a referral to Wedding Workflows, so you kind of maybe already knew about what it was like, you know, from your friends. Shout out, Kate.

What I found exciting when I first started working, to be very, very honest, is the money that I will earn. So this was my first job. Before Wedding Workflows, I did not have like a real-world experience.

So it was exciting in that I was finally kind of going out there. Trying, like, dipping my toes on what it feels like to work, but also to earn money for myself. It was the pandemic, so I did not have a study allowance, and I wanted to work for myself. I wanted to earn and provide for the things that I want. So, I think when I started, that was the most exciting things  was looking forward to having.

I think also right because when the pandemic happened, you know, our generation kind of found a place in the online space because, well, for one thing, we had more time on our hands that we knew what to do with. And almost all of our entire lives suddenly became social media and the internet because what else were we to do outside of our homes?

So, do you think, Den, that if it wasn't for the pandemic, if that hadn't happened, you would never have considered working part-time from home?

I think that with or without the pandemic, I would still have considered working because at that point, in time in my college education. I give you a little bit of context. I transferred from a medical program to an arts program. So it is, it was a big shift and it was an adjustment for me. So I found myself with a very loose schedule.

I think during that sem, I only had about 15 units, so I had a lot of time on my hands and I thought to myself that as you said, we had a lot of time on our hands because A, it was the pandemic. And for me, which is B, I had a lot of time on my schedule. So I realized that I wanted to be productive and use my time wisely to do something again, more productive and something that would help me also to earn money. And the opportunity of working in wedding workflows was there.
Offered to me by, hi Kate.

I'm curious though, Den, did you kind of like go looking for other, you know, like online jobs before you found Wedding Workflows?

I did, I did.

Really?

Yes, I'm gonna be very vulnerable and say that I applied and did not pass as an ESL teacher

I find that hard to believe.

Yes. I did not pass as an ESL teacher. But looking back on that experience, I think I am now thankful that I was not accepted for that job because had I accepted, had I pursued that job, I would not have been able to work in wedding workflows, which is like now I met some new friends. I work with great people. So it was a blessing in disguise.

Chapter 3: Adapting to Face-to-Face Classes
It's funny how that works, right? It's like looking back on the decisions that you made, even though it's like such a small thing, really, kind of altered almost, you know, your entire course of your life in a way. What was the biggest shift you think you experienced and I'm sure a lot of people can relate to this as well. You know, you started out as a VA when classes were still exclusively online because you've been working for a while now. How was that period of adjustment when now, you know, everything is back to face-to-face?

I think I did not have a choice, but to be, to be very honest, I did not have a choice because I did not want to stop college, but I also did not want to stop working. So I kind of just like get the rest wherever I can, because the biggest shift that I experienced, especially with how classes are now fully face to face, would have to be my sleeping schedule. Because I work night, I work from 8 to 12:30 on most days. And I think that for the first few months of having that schedule, especially when school starts earlier, I struggled a little bit, but because I did not want to sacrifice school or sacrifice work, I kind of found a way to still get the needed rest for every day and show up to school and do all my assignments, my projects, my exams, and at night, do my work, do my tasks, have meetings. And I did that by finding time in the afternoon, like before work to rest, which has been working so far for me. And I'm thankful for that breaks I get in the afternoons that I get to rest. Sleep and up for a little bit.

Chapter 4: Advice for Balancing School and Work
What advice would you give to someone who is having a full class load? Maybe they're in their final year or so in college or in uni, and they also want to have a bit of a side income going. What's the biggest advice you would give them, or perhaps what would be a word of, not discouragement, but just like a word of warning, you know, to help them kind of get started on the right foot when it comes to that?

Don't bite more than you can chew. That's one of the things that when I first started working, I tried to like, limit myself because it's so easy to dissolve the boundaries between school and work. You know, like when you're working, you do a little bit of school tasks and that's unfair for your clients and unfair for your teachers at school who will be grading you and your performance. So don't bite more than you can chew.

Especially when you're still when, like me, when I started working, I was still in my second year of college and I was anticipating that I am going to be busy in the next year. I anticipated that and knew that I should not go beyond four hours during that time. And with that, also, when I started working and things really did get busy at school, I made sure to get everything done before work so as not to disturb my tasks for the day.

With that you also have to set boundaries again with the things that you have to do for school and you have to do for work because otherwise you're not gonna perform well in both of those things. So to be able to really make sure that you do well in school, that your performance and your grades in school will not be affected, you have to give time in any time of day to focus on just your schoolwork and then at night on your scheduled time to work you just work. So I guess that's one of the biggest advice that even myself I still have to remind myself to do.

But sometimes it really just kind of takes sitting down with yourself and kind of giving yourself a reality check in a way. You know, kind of having that talk because like what you said, it really is so easy to take on more than you can actually handle maybe because in your head you don't understand exactly yet how committed you need to be to something and I love what you said about it being unfair for your clients and, you know, for work and also being unfair to your teachers.

But also it's a bit unfair to yourself because you are kind of sacrificing a proper, getting yourself like a proper education and also sacrificing like your commitment to work and building like good work ethic and good work habits simply because you're unable to kind of be honest and just admit that you can't handle everything.

Exactly.

Yeah.

And to add to that too, it's like, no one's forcing you to work. It was, it was really like, it's your own choice to work so, you know, your clients deserve the service that they're expecting from you and your school and yourself deserve a good grade because you're in school and that's your responsibility to finish.

You also like don't deserve to undergo through that much stress. But you also have to admit that it is like what you said, it's your choice. So it is self-imposed. Yeah, no one's telling you to have to juggle everything. So if you choose to juggle both, then you should like understand, it's not going to be easy.

And you're probably not gonna love every aspect of both things. So it is a commitment for sure.

Yeah.

But it doesn't have to be always hard.

Yeah, I feel like it's just so easy, I guess, to get lost again in the, I don't know, in our unwavering determination to like be productive sometimes. And like, that's actually what I want to ask you next was, because you have work and you have school now you have like grades and you kind of have, you know, performance on your client accounts to think about, how have you maintained a healthy relationship with productivity?

Chapter 5: Maintaining Productivity and Setting Boundaries
I guess I'm going to go back to what I said earlier by setting boundaries. I feel like that's really just it. And I was thinking like, before we got on this conversation. And when you talk to me about what we were going to talk about today, I kind of had a realization that like, yeah, well, it's been two years for me. And how was I able to do it? You know, most of the time, and just setting boundaries, learning when you have to do school work, and when you have to do your work, which is, I think, you know, when you're going to do your work because you have a set schedule.

And I think one thing that I also appreciate, we were always reminded at Wedding Workflows is to not go beyond our hours. Not because we do not love our clients, but to help you not be burnt out of your work, you know. Absolutely. Yeah, because I mean, but I am guilty of sometimes, you know, going over time. And, and my clients do not ask me to do that. It's just, it's something that I want to do, but also like, I keep going back to Christine's Ate Tine's reminder that don't go overtime, you know, take a rest because you need it and I'm sure your clients would appreciate you taking a break from work. I guess that's it.

I don't know what it is, but we are kind of stubborn in that way. You know, it's, we really insist on... Again, maybe it's a self-imposed thing. Maybe we're so brainwashed or like we have this mentality that we're kind of only deserving of success in the workplace if we bend our backs for. You know, our clients and the accounts, but yeah, again, it's like, until to this day, for sure, I also have to remind myself, like, you don't need to do that. Like you're already doing a good job, even if you're not working overtime and you're not, not taking your breaks. Right.

And it's funny because it took me a couple of years to learn this, but just like taking a 15-minute break, which is, again, admittedly, very difficult to do for some people. But that 15-minute break can save you from a proper full-blown burnout.

Yes.

You know, and that's just like 15 minutes out of your day that we refuse to take because we feel guilty for not working on our accounts. All the time.

I was gonna say that our clients are so appreciative and even the littlest thing, I remember, with one of my clients now, Hi Raphael, I think it was last quarter of 2024, we reached 9,000 followers on her Instagram account, on her business account, and she was so, and she was so happy, and she was so happy, and I didn't even, I wasn't aware that there was a target at that time, because I was still, I think I was still two months in to her account and she messaged me about that. So I do Instagram engagements for her. It's one of my daily tasks. I didn't even have a set goal that I have to reach 9,000 followers for Raphael because I, again, I wasn't aware of that. So when she messaged me, I wasn't aware that, that it was already making her happy. And that's just something that I do every day. And that's what I was trying to say that like, they're not asking us to bend our back to make them happy, you know, and just remind yourself to take a break.

And for some reason, we really are kind of the biggest critics of ourselves. So, and I find that sure that does kind of that narrative and that mentality exists when you're in school, but it really increases tenfold once you're entering the workforce because the metrics also, you know, like the measures of success, they're completely different.

Chapter 6: Pros & Cons of a Working Student
So about working while still studying Den. And I know you're gonna graduate soon. Congratulations in advance.

Thank you so much, Chelsea.

I'm very excited. And I can't wait. Nah, you'll invite me to your grad party. Still waiting. But now that you have tried it, and you decided to keep going, as you said, it was a personal choice that you made. What are some of the pros and cons that, you know, comes with working while still studying?

I'm going to start with the pros. First, again, I'm going to go back to money because I'm practical like that.

Of course.

Thanks to any work clothes and the money that I've earned over the past few years, I was able to save up for myself and, and not being like, Oh, I have to ask money because I want to go on a trip. You know, or I want to buy this so I have to ask money or save my allowance, but now I can just say that like, oh, I can, I'll just save whatever I earn and I can buy this and it's such a fulfilling feeling to be able to do that for myself while studying. And something that I really treasure, that's why I, my time in Wedding Workflows as a virtual assistant, I really value it a lot. Not just for the money, but also for the experience.

Second, I would have to say is, my, my work now with Wedding Workflows is, I would say like, it directly relates to my program because I am, my current program now is, Bachelor of Arts in communication major in media and we tap on social media and public relations and also journalism. So a lot of writing and I get to do that somehow in wedding workflows and to be able to take the theories, the foundations that I learned in school and apply it in my work while also learning from my colleagues. And my clients is a really invaluable thing for me.

So I think that's like the biggest pro of all. And one con is that the time. You have less time to do, to rest and less time to do your schoolwork. But also, it's not completely gone, the time to do your schoolwork, but you just have to be wise and, and have the sense of discipline to be able to still perform at school while working.

Chapter 7: Education System and Workforce Preparation
Wow. Speaking like a true seasoned VA. But, I'm curious, Den, do you think, what's your opinion on, on this, do you think, like, the current education system properly equips, you know, their students with the skills and the tools that they need to succeed and thrive in the workforce?

I don't wanna be controversial, but I think, I'm just gonna say this, your teachers, your professors, your mentors, your instructors, from the time you start school until you graduate college, can only impart lessons on you so much, to a certain extent, but it's really up to you to revisit everything you've learned and apply it to the work that you're doing. They're not going to hold your hand, of course, every step of the way, especially after you graduate. So it's your responsibility to kind of be like Sponge when you're in school, take everything in, everything that they teach you, all the anecdotes of being in the workforce that they tell you. And when you go out to the real world and work, whether you're a part-timer or when, or you're like really trying to carve a path in a certain field or industry that you're interested in. Go back to that everything that you've learned all the stories you've heard and what they've learned from that and apply it to yourself and take it as an invaluable lesson that that will guide you to become the best worker that you can be.

To become the best version of yourself. Once you enter the real world because I agree. I agree with everything that you said. And sometimes, you know, as young adults, as adolescents, you really don't realize what a safety net school actually really is, right?

Because it's the biggest thing for me, at least, that I found I was kind of dependent on, in a way, was the structure, the structure that it gave, like, my life and even my identity in a way because of course grades are important. I'm not saying that they're not important. It's really important for you also to work hard on school and do well in school. But I also like realize that it's not your grades that's going to help you be the best version of yourself when you like go out into the real world, you know, and it's not your grades that's going to change the world if you wanted to change the world.

It's you. And I love what you said about like taking those experiences with you even after graduating because yeah, it's those moments of seeing into like a human condition, real life experience, you know, that you haven't encountered yet. It's also like, again, going back to grades, it's like, it's not the value you have. By getting good grades, it's not just, you got a good grade, the value that you get from that also is, the hours of self-discipline you put in, the hours of commitment and drive and motivation, right? It's your ability to push through. push yourself and continue to challenge yourself in a way. It's like building character.

And I feel like, yeah, it's those soft skills sometimes and it's your character, I guess. And the integrity that you carry also is so important once you start working. But, how did we get so, so deep?

Chapter 8: Romanticizing Work-from-Home Jobs
Okay. Wow. So, I guess, go back to, you know, having a part-time job and stuff like that. I want you to kind of walk me through the things that you romanticized about a work-from-home job, you know, just before you started to get into it. And maybe we can help our listeners demystify those aspects.

I think for me, especially again, because when I started working, it was work from home. The work-from-home setup and the work-from-home routines of people are all over the internet, especially on TikTok and Instagram. You know, when there is a timestamp for their routine before work. They wake up at 7:00 AM to meditate or to go on a run, cook breakfast at 8:00 AM and then start working at 9:00 AM. Sometimes before I started working, I kind of never, you know, expected that to be my life also.

But I realized that sometimes you just can't keep up with a routine and days are not going to be the same. You're going to be different. Especially as a student, sometimes you are cramming your thesis paper because it's due tomorrow at 8 a. m. And then there's some days that you just want to rest. You just want to close your eyes before you work. And that's one thing that I kind of like when I see people having that. And it's fascinating to, to see them, you know, the commitment to have that and the discipline that goes into that is, I wouldn't, that's not me.

But, you know, I realized that I can just, you know, as long as I show up to work and perform and do my tasks for the day, everybody's going to be happy and I don't have to pressure myself to stick to a regimen every single day.
Yeah, or to like, have your day look a certain way.

Yes, exactly.

I heard somewhere, I'm sure it was, a YouTube short or a reel somewhere, but like seeing those, their sort of impression of having seen those like routines that you mentioned, it's like, why do they make, why do they make it seem like having avocado toast in the morning is what you need to succeed? Having like matcha in the afternoon is what you need to succeed. It's very true that it does kind of set an unrealistic expectation of what it's like to work because they make it seem like they love working so much. And I'm sure they do in their own way. And I'm not saying, I'm not saying like working is like so tough. No one loves it. I just mean that. There is like, again, they're highlight reels, right? They're just like, the perfect moments of their perfect day.

So, to set this unrealistic expectation of what a work day looks like that's like, perfect from head to toe, it makes you think that you need to work, or you need to, love working then and that working should be easy for you then but work is hard, work is -- work is not easy and you don't love work all the time. And if we did, we wouldn't dream of having early retirement.

Yeah, exactly. And, and you know, you see, adding to what you said, you see them having a set routine and being perfect. They look like. They love work. And again, I'm sure they do. Sometimes you feel bad because why am I not like this? What am I doing wrong? Am I not balancing school and work the right way for me not to look that pretty at 7am? Because the reality is I am in my pajamas. Have not combed my hair in 12 hours when I'm working. That's just the reality of going to work, but also balancing school along with it. And it's healthy for you to be aware, that is not the picture that you want to set for yourself when you choose to venture into like a part-time job while still staying in school.

Very, very true. So, you know, we kind of already talked about what life has been like for you, balancing school and a part-time job. So where does your social and personal life fit into all this?

The weekend. And you love, you know, going free diving and visiting like Moalboal and going swimming on the beach. Like your Instagram feed is just you. Is that like something you really have to prioritize?

It's not like a requirement for me to always have like a, to go to the beach every weekend because that is not, that's not very feasible for me and my life. But I've learned that it's not. If you can, if you're able to, you know, because sometimes in the week we feel so stressed out, especially for me as a, as a student and also like working a part-time job. Sometimes I'm guilty of just wasting my weekend away because I just want to rest, but I've found that trying to plan something on the weekend or not, it doesn't have to be on a weekend, but like a little activity for yourself. Just to like, kind of not think about anything else and also for you to have something to look forward to. Like last weekend, I did not plan on doing anything, but I went to a coffee shop across my house in Cebu. It's called Good Cup. They serve really good coffee and also really good pastries. And it was like a little Sunday afternoon activity that I was very thankful to do because I get to spend time with myself, just enjoying things that, on a normal weekend I might not be able to do.

And also, another thing is to talk to my friends, talk to my loved ones about stuff that's not work. And if you have a trip coming up, you know, I try to look up places that we may want to go to that area.

So it's kind of like the little things that help you go back and get you motivated to finish work and to finish school. That's how I kind of try to insert still the things that I love to do in my personal life outside of school and work. If not on the weekends, on days that I'm not busy.

Chapter 9: Disconnecting and Avoiding Burnout
It's interesting how balancing, you know, school and work also means stepping away from it sometimes and just disconnecting a bit sometimes.

I think there was a point last year that I was really burnt out from work and I wanted to quit. Like, I felt like it was just so easy to kind of pass my resignation and to just focus on school. But then I also thought about my client at the time, how that would look like if I resigned.

But also the growth that I was already going through at that time. I guess it was just a matter of recalibrating and reflecting on that, like my situation, like how was I burned out? How did I get here? And being aware of the burnout that I was going through and also after that trying to conceive solutions on how to get out from that. And that was, that is how I helped myself get out of a burnout or prevent myself from having a burnout. From work or from school.

I love that. Just like, sometimes, you know, you kind of hope that you don't get there. Sometimes it is, it is a learning experience. A lot of things tend to be a learning experience, but for what it's worth. I'm proud that you didn't, you know, not that I consider it as giving up, you know, because you, you, of course, you have to choose sometimes that's just, that's reality. You can't have everything, but I'm glad that you found a way to bounce back from that, from something that's very difficult also.

Me too.

So you're graduating in a couple of months, Den. Hoping. What does that era or period of your life look like? Is that going to be your traveling every month? girly era?

That is going to be my resting era.

I feel like

Finally getting like sleep.

Yes, because I feel like the last especially now that we're doing our senior thesis and actually this is the first time in like a few months that I do not have to think about my thesis at all because we just finished our manuscript and we're waiting for the defense. It has been very hectic and very heavy on the mind because you know when you're writing your thesis, demands a lot of English words to be produced. But, yeah, I think soon, praying, hoping when I graduate, I think that will be, I will take a rest. Not from work though, but like, you know, just taking my time and enjoying not having to think about, I have a class at 10am, I have to finish this before that day. Just trying to kick back and not think about those things after 15 years or more because I got delayed. No travel for me, maybe just save and then just sleep resting girl era.

Yeah, and like taking things slow because you've just been kind of pretty like life has been fast-paced for you. I imagine you've just been, you know, on the go. Love that. 

We actually asked on Instagram our followers for questions for, you know what it's like to start a work-from-home side hustle as a student. And we did receive a couple of questions and I'm going to read them out. So someone asked, what to do when both school and work become hectic? Which do you prioritize?

That's very hard to answer. Which do you prioritize? Because to be honest, I don't see one thing as more important than the other, but I will. I will say though that if both of them get too demanding, and for me it has, I find that stepping back and just resting helps me to kind of see how I will go about tackling both of my responsibilities for school and work. 

Even sleeping for 30 minutes or an hour just resting and listing everything that you have to get done and kind of prioritizing, you know, what should be done first or like, how, how do I do one thing and how do I do this, and still not sacrifice on the quality of work that is expected of you for school and work.

So like taking a break, right?

Yes. Like once again, maybe sitting down with yourself and having a reality check and maybe also like reach out to people, let them know that you need help. Right? Like you're struggling in a little bit in one way. So, how about another question? So advice on how to leverage part-time work experience once you fully join the workforce?

Okay. Great. I will again go back to my current program in college, which is communication and media. There are certain aspects to what I learned in school that I can apply in my work and vice versa, which is kind of surprising, but it is. Because you get invaluable experience from working with, in our case, photographers and the workflow and the applications that they use. And for me, like, that has really helped me. 

And it doesn't have to be only true to communication programs or in the arts program. But, you know, even you, right, Chelsea, being a nursing graduate, some aspects of nursing school have helped you with your tasks. So, yeah, like, you kind of realize that as you work that like, oh, like, sometimes this concept can be applied to your work. It's not like you have to fit into a specific role to pursue a specific path, right?

Yeah. I love that. Another question is, and this is the last question. What's the best piece of work-related advice you've ever received that you apply as a student?

Learn how to take a break. And that is, that is, again, something that Ate Tine would always remind us, especially because I'm in the night shift, that it's kind of difficult to identify like, when do I, when do I take a break? When do I take my break? And she would always insist that you have to take your break. You have to take a break. And that kind of her voice, like, just in my head saying that like, take a break, take a break, even if like, you're so busy with school and you have a lot of things to accomplish, do not feel guilty to rest, you know? 

Well, it shouldn't be like, not the kind of rest that you completely forget about everything that you have to get done and all the responsibilities you have to do, but kind of taking a rest for just a little bit to, to help you kind of, you know, just put things in perspective once again.

Mm hmm.

So, yeah.

Yeah. That's so true. And it really is harder than it seems.

Yes. Yes. Being willing to think about it. Yeah.

So, yeah, that's it for the IG questions. 

So, you know, like, now that you're gonna be graduating soon, Den, and it's sort of like a chapter of your life closing, of course. And, like you said, you want to continue to go on this path and pursue, of course, a professional career. What are your personal measures of success, you think?

I know that I am succeeding. I want to say that I am already succeeding. Like, I know that I am doing good and I'm doing well in life is when I can, I still have time for the things that I enjoy doing, but also not leaving my responsibilities in work and in school. Like I have a life outside of school, outside of work. That's how I know that I'm doing well. 

Because I'm not book-smart. Every, I feel like every good grade that I get from school is, by chance. Chamba in Cebuano. But maybe that's also like the imposter syndrome.

Well, Den, this has been a really great and meaningful conversation. Thank you for being so open about your experience with what it's been like for you to balance school and work. Everything you've shared has been so valuable, and I just know that everyone can learn from this and apply things in their own way. 

I really felt that everything you said came from a place of, you know, genuine commitment to wanting to be the best version of yourself. 

I also want to thank the people who sent in their questions over on Instagram. We really, really appreciate it. And if you guys want to stay up to date with the podcast, or are interested in letting us know about what you think of the podcast, we'd love to hear from you. I hope you enjoyed this episode, and as always, please tune in to the next one. 

So this has been your host Chelsea 

with Den 

– and we're Briefing Out.