After managing to get through eight semesters of college without taking a single summer class, I fell into the summer class “pit of doom” the one semester I was working full-time and joining SWOOP. Once I got past the first week of handling SWOOP, taking classes, and working, I thought the semester would be a smooth ride. Then the SWOOP clients started piling in by the day.
In the beginning, I knew would be a social media specialist for SWOOP, but I didn’t exactly know what to expect. I did know that I wanted to give 110% to every client. I wanted each of them to feel like they were getting the best from me and that they had my undivided attention. That meant spending hours glued to a computer screen researching the best SEO tactics and searching for the best media content calendars, then scrapping them and making one from scratch because the templates weren’t good enough. It meant taking the short bits of time I had between work and class to frantically plan what I needed to do next.
One day, after running back and forth between the SWOOP room, getting briefed on client notebooks, class, work, and client meetings like a mad woman, I finally made it back to my apartment a quarter to eight after being on campus for 12 hours straight without food or water because I didn’t have time.
After eating some microwaved leftovers, I got into bed that night and I did something I realized I hadn’t done all day: I breathed. It may sound silly, but I was running around so much and working so hard that I actually forgot to breathe.
Chances are, if you’re joining SWOOP, you’re also taking classes and working. SWOOP is a wonderful, fun place to not only explore your craft, but also get better at it. It’s a place to gain life lessons, and perhaps make some new friends. SWOOP is also a lot of work.
Juggling clients, class assignments, work, and your personal life will get hectic at times, but it’ll be one of the most fun rides of your life. Put on your seatbelt and enjoy the ride, but most importantly, don’t forget to breathe.