The Art of Making Time (When You Don’t Have Any)

The Art of Making Time (When You Don’t Have Any) 

October feels like that part of the semester where time starts to blur. One day I’m opening fresh notebooks, the next I’m staring down midterms, looming deadlines, and an inbox exploding with workshop and event invites. Among them? The Arts Amplifier’s  entrepreneurship panel on Oct 21st and Career Design Studio on Oct 25th. 

My first reaction: Nope. Because between classes, research, grading, and trying to remember what fresh air feels like, adding another event feels like trying to major in multitasking.

But lately I’ve been wondering: what if those events don’t have to feel like extra work? What if they could be something that fits into the messiness, that threads possibility through the chaos? 

One lesson grad school has taught me is that the mythical “less busy” week never comes. There’s always another paper, class presentation, stack of readings, or life thing demanding attention, because apparently adulthood doesn’t take semesters off. So, I’ve stopped waiting for the perfect window and started carving out tiny pockets instead: after a lecture, between two deadlines, or even that 30-minute stretch I was about to spend doom-scrolling. 

That’s when I glance at the Arts Amplifier Newsletter, or skim upcoming events in the weekly GradUpdate newsletter. I don’t aim to attend everything, just one that feels interesting. And sometimes that one hour shifts my week more than I’d expected. Here are a few more small things I do that make it easier to show up. 

  • I try to choose events based on curiosity. Not the event that looks “strategic,” but the one with the title that makes me think, Maybe this will surprise me
  • Take a friend or invite a classmate who could also use a break from their thesis, studying, or just… life. It’s easier (and a lot more fun) to show up when someone’s coming with me
  • Let expectations go. I don’t try to leave the event with a fully formed life plan, but, I do try to find a spark, a thought, or a conversation I can take with me. 

And because making time for growth doesn’t have to mean doing it all by yourself, I’ve also been exploring the Arts Graduate Coaching Pilot Program. It pairs arts graduate students and postdocs with trained coaches who offer confidential, one-on-one support for both academic and professional development goals. 

I like the idea of bringing my “I’m not sure what’s next,” to a coach who might be able to help me unpack it through conversation and reflection. No judgment, no pressure, just clarity. 

If this resonates with you coaching could help might be a great way to find balance by staying grounded in your work while also making time and space for workshops, career conversations and ideas that keep you inspired. 

The Spaces Already Waiting 

You don’t need to look far. 

  • Arts Amplifier’s workshops and events are built for students who are curious about nontraditional paths. It also a great opportunity to meet other students and faculty in the arts.  
  • The UBC Career Centre offers one-on-one coaching, résumé help, and drop-ins for those “uh, what am I doing again?” moments.

Make Time for Possibility 

This October won’t magically slow down. Midterms, thanksgiving, research demands will all still be there. But that’s exactly why it’s worth pausing for things that remind you what you’re working toward. When you make time for small moments of connection or reflection, they have a way of grounding you. Of making the rest of it feel a little less impossible. You never know what might shift, or who you might meet, when you give yourself permission to step away from the grind for an hour. 

So go ahead: show up for yourself. No pressure. Just possibility. 

Written by Marjorie Rugunda, PhD Student at the Institute for Gender,Race,Sexuality & Social Justice, Communications and programming Assistant at the Arts Amplifier.

Published 14 October 2025