As a first semester Integrated MPA student, I have a lot to learn about the program. The transition from being a BBA to an iMPA is a tough road. There are times when you feel like you cannot read another tax law exception or your brain will explode from information overload. All MPAs know this feeling. The key is to balance your life in school with a life outside of school. I know we hear this all the time but the importance of this advice never hit me until this semester. Take that study break you have been dreaming about for the past three quiz days and go out and have fun in the greatest city in Texas! Go to that football game even though you have two exams the next week! You can do fun things as an MPA as long as you maximize the time that you actually spend hitting those books.

Last week I had my first tax exam and financial concepts exam on the same day. These two classes are typically taken during the first year of iMPA. Naturally, I was so scared to take these exams, the week before I was already stressing myself out. Fortunately, I have a great friend who took me to a One Republic concert Thursday night, the weekend before my exams. The concert was at ACL Live’s Mood Theater, which is an awesome venue downtown. It was such a great show and definitely one of my favorite experiences here in Austin thus far. As a bonus, it was just the thing I needed to clear my head and forget about tax rules and financial concepts for a few hours. Sometimes you have to have a little fun to get things done!

What are your favorite things to do when you are on study breaks?