For me, one of the biggest challenges of getting an MBA is that life just doesn’t stop while I’m in school. One of my busiest times each year is Girl Scout Cookie season. This year, it fell during Term 3. My two daughters are crazy cookie sellers, and each sold over 2,000 boxes of cookies this year—while I was in school.

I coordinated with my au pair to meet my kids at cookie booths in the evenings after work, which required going into work earlier to be done on time. After cookie booths and other activities, I spent a couple hours each night studying, got some sleep, and then was up early the next morning.

Staying Organized

With so much going on, especially during cookie season, I have to stay organized. In general, while I’m in school, almost every second of every day is planned out in advance—I even plan exercise and naps. I send out a daily email to my husband and au pair to remind them of the activities for each day, and I also send a weekly email to cover the overall plan for the full week. Not every day goes according to plan, obviously, but it helps to know which parts of the plan can move, and which ones can’t. I’ve found that it’s a good way to keep everyone organized and on the same page, and really helps me to balance all my personal, professional, and academic responsibilities.