How do you maintain relationships while working 70+ hour weeks?

Hey WSO, I know plenty of you guys are currently working in really time-intensive careers, and I'd really appreciate any advice on maintaining relationships.

For context, I am a rising sophomore at a non-target. I work ~30+ hours a week, I am a full-time student, I'm part of my school's investment fund, studying + networking for 2027+2028 internships, and I take care of my grandmother with health issues. I have no issues with my workload, but my relationships with some friends have been strained.

I don't blame them for not understanding, especially since my reasons for canceling or showing up late seem idiotic, or that I didn't want to hang out with them. I honestly didn't really notice until last night, and now I'm worried I've lost one of my closest friends. I said something that sounded like I didn't want to hang out with him, and now he's not answering my texts. Is there anything I could do or say to help explain, or is it just something I'll have to deal with?

Any advice and insights would be really appreciated.

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prospect here but older friends from uni/college are AN1 and AN2 and they said the following:

  • you try to keep up regularly at first, but eventually it becomes a draining effort to have to keep multiple tabs on more than just excel 
  • people who work in finance/big law + understand the demands of your job are the most likely to stay friends, the opposante is true on the other side of the spectrum. You can grab a beer or lunch with a friend if they work in your city’s main financial district (wall street for NYC, London’s ‘city’/Canary Wharf) 
  • almost all ppl that had a girlfriend going in couldn’t make it work. The ones that did (now VP1/2) are happily married. it’s a good but brutal test of the bond.
  • you usually don’t have energy to see people after first year anyway, you end up realising that sleep is like currency and any extra hour you can get is more valuable and beneficial as sleep than socialising.
  • it gets easier when you’re ASO and up, as you get more and more control over your time and the ability to push back on work/get some protected time to attend a lunch/dinner etc.

    grim outlook but the job seems require that sacrifice. 
     

 

I’ve only been able to see 10% of my former friend base since working, and that’s only bc they live or work near me so it’s for us to just catch up after we leave the office. 

 

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