How 3 College Org Presidents Balance Acads, Leadership, And Personal Life Without Burning Out

They say college is the time to live with zero regrets and say yes to every single opportunity. So naturally, you sign up for multiple orgs, aim for perfect grades, and plan to go out with your friends every single night. But the second your exams and committee meetings actually overlap (along with the alarming realization that you're running on only three hours of sleep), it makes you seriously question all your life choices.

How do you balance being everywhere all at once without completely running on empty? These three student leaders have been in your exact shoes, and they're sharing their stories on how to chase your ambitions without losing yourself along the way.

It happens to the best of us: your acads, internship, and org responsibilities all collide at once, and suddenly you're completely paralyzed by your own to-do list. Lia Sison, President of AIESEC in the University of the Philippines Diliman, knows that feeling. During a week where her schedule was packed to the absolute limit, she realized that splitting her time equally just wasn't going to happen.

"I can't give 100% of myself to everything all the time, and that doesn't mean I care any less," Lia explains. "I've had to learn how to compartmentalize, decide where my energy is most needed, and be okay with giving different parts of my life different amounts of myself at different times," Lia shares.

You only need to worry about the one most urgent thing on your plate.

"Oftentimes though, the hardest days are made harder by my own expectations," Lia notes. "I don't need to solve everything at once or know exactly how I'm going to get through the week. I just need to do the next thing that needs to be done."

There's a difference between feeling just completely drained and having that "good" kind of tired—where you're exhausted, but still happy you showed up. uggling multiple commitments will take up your time and energy, so it helps to spend them on things that genuinely matter to you. It's a mindset that Celina de Joya, President of the La Salle Dance Company-Contemporary (LSDCC), swears by.

"Even when I'm tired or feel like I fall short sometimes, dance does so much good for me," Celina shares. "I may be tired, but I know I'd rather be tired from doing something I love than be tired from doing nothing."

When you're constantly rushing from one task to the next, it's easy to forget that you're actually supposed to love the life you're building. “Doing things I enjoy helps me feel like I'm still living my life and not just checking things off a list,” she adds.

It's easy to pour all your time into one commitment that you completely neglect all your other interests. Lucas Aurelio, President of Habitat for Humanity Blue Chapter, admits he initially gave up working out, reading, and hanging out with friends just to keep up with the heavy demands of his org.

He quickly realized that sacrificing his personal life to be a better leader was actually doing more harm than good. "So now, I ensure that I do the things that keep me human, so I can perform at the highest level when I need to be President [for Habitat]," Lucas shares. 

You're allowed to chase your ambitions without abandoning yourself in the process. Keep doing the things that make you feel like yourself.

"I still want to finish the books I started, see my friends, [and] spend time with my family," Lia shares. "Those things might seem small compared to an accounting exam or leading an organization, but they remind me that my life is bigger than what I accomplish."

Turning down a weekend hangout because you're drowning in org duties is never fun. You might even worry your friends are getting annoyed that you're always busy, which is why having the right people around you matters.

When Lucas had to skip out on plans during a heavy recruitment week, his friends never made him feel bad about staying behind. "Me turning down their invites wasn't met with animosity or pettiness, but with empathy and understanding," he shares. "They always reassured me that there would be a next time and told me how proud they were of what I was pursuing."

Surround yourself with people who won't guilt-trip you for missing a Friday night out, but will also pull you away from work when you need a breather.

Celina relies on that same mix of grace and honesty from her parents when her to-do list gets overwhelming. "Having people who understand your commitments but can also keep you grounded is really important," she shares.

There will inevitably be days when the workload is so heavy you just want to drop everything and walk away. When the initial excitement of a new role wears off and the burnout creeps in, you have to rely on a deeper core reason for taking on these commitments in the first place.

"You need to know that reason before things get hard, because when you're exhausted or questioning whether all the effort is worth it, a shallow 'why' falls apart very quickly," Lia says.

But knowing why you're doing the work doesn't mean you have to push yourself until you break. Your purpose should be your anchor, not an excuse to neglect your well-being.

"Whenever I'm tempted to push myself too far, I ask: If my best friend were doing this, what would I tell her? I would never want someone I love to sacrifice herself for an exam, a role, or a deadline," Lia adds.

Every single experience you want for yourself is yours for the taking. But if you're hesitating because you don't feel completely ready, "do it scared, do it worried, do it unprepared," Lucas says.

"You don't need to become the person capable of doing everything before you step up," Lia shares. "Sometimes, stepping up is exactly how you become that person."