Going to college is hard and working full-time is hard as well. The two don’t combine quite as well as chocolate and peanut butter. Still, people all over the world manage to strike this challenging balance.
The trick is all about going in with the right strategy and sticking to it closely.
In this article, we take a look at how you can succeed as a full-time student and employee.
Be realistic
It’s essential to keep your goals realistic. Undergraduate degrees traditionally take four years to complete. Graduate degrees typically take between two and three years. This, however, is not a traditional situation.
The people completing their programs in these timeframes are usually full-time students. People whose only, or at least primary responsibility, is to go to school. You’re taking on much more than that, which is impressive but not conducive to the traditional college timeline.
Here’s the deal: you’ll finish when you finish. If everything goes well, that could mean finishing at a traditional pace. You’ll have personal and professional obligations to attend to. They will take time and delay your studies.
If they do, it’s ok. Getting the degree is a big accomplishment, no matter how long it takes.
Cut time out of your schedule
Most people feel justifiably busy, but that’s not the same as saying they have no time to take on new things. It does mean that some old things might have to go. Take a look at your schedule. To be honest, now, is there anything holding you back?
Take a minute to think about it.
If you are like the average American adult, you watch about three hours of television. Your phone. The average American adult spends over three hours on their phone.
Let’s be charitable and say an hour of that time is being applied toward productive means.
The statistics suggest that most people can carve out a decent chunk of time each day by eliminating screen time. It may feel hard, but it’s only temporary. Stranger Things will still be there when you get your degree.
Consider online courses
Online classes are an excellent way to make getting a degree easier while you work full-time. For one thing, many online classes are slightly more flexible than their brick-and-mortar alternatives. Often, they will let you complete work within a specific time frame instead of forcing you to meet at certain times throughout the week.
Others may have predetermined online meeting times but will still spare you a time-killing commute. The average commute is thirty minutes, so you can save an hour of your day by taking online classes. You can apply the extra time to your homework.
Cash in the PTO
Only a fourth of all people take paid time off. Around ten percent don’t use it. Why? You’re throwing time and money away by not using your PTO.
Your school work is a worthy cause for how to use it. Of course, you’ll need to be strategic with your use. Save it up for big projects or finals week. Get paid to study.
Guard your study time fiercely
At the end of a long day, it will be tempting to check out for the night. Watch a movie or go out with friends. But, if you schedule time for studying, it’s important to uphold that obligation. For one thing, it’s very easy to make skipping homework a habit.
And, of course, in your particular situation, there isn’t a lot of studying wiggle room. Skip out on your work one night, and you’ll double it for the next.
Skip too often, and the odds of completing your degree will shrink considerably.
Take good care of your brain and your body
My brain and my body, you say? Where do you think I’ve been keeping my brain, a goldfish bowl? Point taken. The college has sharpened your tongue. Of course, your brain is part of your body, and to take care of one is in many ways to take care of the other.
However, when it comes to self-care, it is good to make a slight distinction when it comes to self-care. Taking care of your body could involve exercise and eating right. By prioritizing nutrition and using supplements, you can quickly fill up the gaps in your diet.
Taking care of your brain specifically, on the other hand, might involve avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting great sleep, and participating in activities that actively strengthen your cognitive ability.
You should be doing all of this anyway, but it becomes essential when going to school and working full-time.
You wouldn’t go into a marathon without caring for your body, right? It’s dangerous. Your risk for injury, and the probability of pooping yourself or throwing up down the finish line goes through the roof. The stakes are very high.
Here’s the thing. The challenges of a marathon are over after just a few hours. The challenges of working and getting a degree can last for years. You need to be in good form to handle those responsibilities. Not only will self-care improve your overall health, but it will make it much easier to tackle your school work productively.
Get help
Finally, get help wherever you can. Raising children? See what you can wrangle up in terms of babysitters. Struggling with an assignment? Find out if your university offers tutoring support.
It takes a village to raise a graduate. Seize any forms of assistance you can get. The journey may be long and hard, but there’s no reason to shoulder the burden alone. By balancing your education and your workload, you’ll get to where you want to be within a reasonable period.
