RSRobince Studio

Balancing Study and Work

A few months into his executive program, Rahul is falling behind on assignments while juggling deadlines at work, and Priya helps him rework his weekly schedule.

Rahul, Priya

Key words and phrases

falling behindfailing to keep up with expected progress or deadlinesHe was falling behind on two assignments already.
juggle prioritiesto manage multiple important responsibilities at the same timeHe was struggling to juggle priorities between work and study.
assignment deadlinethe date by which a piece of academic work must be submittedThe assignment deadline was the same week as a big client presentation.
time blocka fixed period set aside for a specific taskPriya suggested creating a time block just for studying.
cut back onto reduce the amount of time or effort spent on somethingHe had to cut back on weekend leisure time for a while.
prioritizeto decide which tasks are most important and should be done firstHe learned to prioritize tasks based on urgency.
sacrificeto give up something valuable for the sake of a larger goalSome evenings with the family became a small sacrifice.
burnoutextreme exhaustion caused by prolonged stress or overworkPriya warned him to watch out for burnout.
support systemthe people who help and encourage someone through a difficult periodHis family became his biggest support system during the program.
catch upto complete missed or delayed workHe spent Sunday morning trying to catch up on readings.
delegate tasksto assign work to others instead of doing everything oneselfHe started delegating small tasks at work to free up time.
weekly plannera tool used to organize tasks and commitments across a weekPriya helped him set up a proper weekly planner.
stay on trackto continue making progress toward a goal without falling behindThe new schedule helped him stay on track.
worth the sacrificea description used when a difficult trade-off is justified by the outcomeHe kept reminding himself it was worth the sacrifice.
adjust the scheduleto change a plan to better fit new circumstancesThey had to adjust the schedule almost every week.

Useful sentences

Dialogue

PriyaYou seem stressed. Are you falling behind on the program again?

RahulA little. I'm juggling priorities between work and two assignments.

PriyaLet's set up a proper weekly planner and fix a time block for studying.

RahulI might need to cut back on my Sunday cricket games for now.

PriyaThat's fine, it's just a temporary sacrifice.

RahulI'm also going to try delegating a few tasks at work.

PriyaGood idea. I don't want you heading toward burnout.

RahulYou've really been my biggest support system through all this.

PriyaThat's what we're here for. Let's catch up on those readings together this weekend.

RahulThank you. I really think this will be worth the sacrifice in the end.

Common mistakes

Quick quiz

1. What does "falling behind" mean?

2. What does "juggle priorities" mean?

3. What does "delegate tasks" mean?

4. What is a "support system"?

5. What does "stay on track" mean?

6. What does "worth the sacrifice" mean?

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