Being a college student is hard. There is no getting around that. It’s hard to balance school, a social life, staying healthy, for some a job on top of all of that. Now throw in a marriage or possibly a child. Some days it feels down right impossible. But I want to remind my married friends who may be struggling to balance everything that it will get better and school doesn’t last forever.

The first semester after being married was the hardest and most fun semester I have had in college so far. We were both full time students and I worked a morning job too. There were some nights when I felt like I was drowning in my school work with no time to do it. I had thought that when I got married that I would have even more time than I did when I was single. Boy was that not true at all. We both struggled through our classes that semester, even though we both ended up with great grades.

However, we also had the most fun I’ve ever had in a semester that year. It was the only semester we had without me being pregnant or with our daughter. We had fun being just the two of us and the ease that came with it. We were able to do a road trip down to Las Vegas that semester, and we were able to do a day trip to an amusement park with our friends. We got to know each other even more that semester, and I look back on that time with fond memories.

Fast forward to over a year later. We now have our sweet daughter and this semester presents its own challenges. My husband is in school full time and I am going part time to be home with our daughter. It is even harder doing school with a baby than when we were just married. I know everyone has their worries and trials, but to those who are also married and in school, and who may or may not be doing school with children, please try to remember that you are not alone and that it gets better.

I think that sometimes we are in school for so long, we feel like we will always be in school. We think we will always not make a lot of money, or will always have homework, or will always be busy. But the truth is, one day school will end, and we will have good jobs, no homework, and probably still be busy. But just know that this time isn’t forever, and while we may be wishing it away, we need to cherish it. Cherish this time because one day when you are better off and done with school, you will probably miss it.