My journey

Finding my balance

The excitement of my first days at NUL slowly faded as reality set in. The lectures started to pile up. Assignments came with strict deadlines, and some of the topics were harder than I expected. I remember sitting in my room one evening, staring at my notes, completely lost. The words were on the page, but my mind wasn’t taking anything in.

Balancing everything became a struggle. I had to manage my classes, make time to study, attend group meetings, and still try to take care of myself. There were moments when I felt like I was drowning quietly, smiling in front of others while carrying the weight of confusion and pressure inside.

What made things harder was that I didn’t want to seem weak. Everyone around me looked like they were coping. But inside, I was overwhelmed. I missed home. I missed the comfort of my routine, the familiar faces, and the feeling of being sure of myself.

But slowly, I realized I didn’t have to do this alone.One day after class, I opened up to Lineo. I told her I was struggling to keep up with the workload. To my surprise, she smiled and said, “Me too.” We laughed ,not because it was funny, but because it felt good to know we weren’t alone. That was the start of our small study group.

We began meeting after lectures, helping each other through topics we didn’t understand. We shared summaries, voice notes, and even moments of frustration. We reminded each other to rest and eat. Our group grew ,Mohale joined, then Tlali, and soon, we had a little community of support.

Little by little, I found my rhythm. I learned to take breaks, to ask for help, and most importantly, to believe in myself. The fear I felt at the beginning started to shrink. I still had hard days, but I no longer faced them alone.

Looking back, I realize that finding balance isn’t about having everything perfect ,it’s about knowing when to pause, when to push, and when to reach out. It’s about growth.