Why balance isn’t the goal: Marianna’s path to a degree with four kids and a full-time job

For Marianna Abutalipova, balance isn’t the goal.

As a full-time TRU World Student Services Supervisor, mother of four (two of them teenagers with busy sports schedules), and a Bachelor of General Studies student through TRU Open Learning, she’s learned that something has to give.

“Balance is not the right word here,” Marianna says. “We can’t always balance everything. Something has to be given up.” For her, it was her hobby as a painter. Marianna painted much less, but didn’t stop completely. “It’s all about priorities,” she explains.

Her studies often happened on the go: in between grocery shopping, while waiting for her kids’ activities to finish, or even while doing her hair and makeup. She used a mix of textbooks, assignments, and AI-assisted study tools to maximize her time.

“You have to find a creative way to study,” she recommends. “I have also prepared myself mentally that I cannot be an A student with what I have on my plate.”

Through it all, Marianna leaned on encouragement from her students, colleagues, and family. She believes that being open about struggles helps, and that exchanging ideas makes learning easier for everyone.

Marianna encourages others not to chase balance in every area of life, but to prioritize, organize, and lean on support. “If I can do it, many of you can, too,” she says.