Working and Studying
If you're like me, you probably had to work and go to school at the same time. I was lucky enough that I didn't need to do this throughout high school, and honestly through most of my undergraduate career. My junior year of college is when I decided I needed to get a job and start earning my own money.
A big obstacle that I had to face was balancing the work and school obligations. Obviously, school came first for me. I went to University for a reason, and working was not one of those reasons. Luckily, working on campus allowed for a lot of flexibility in my schedule. This flexibility only came in handy in terms of not being scheduled to work while I was in class.
Currently, I do not work on campus or for the University. I work somewhere completely unaffiliated with the university at all. That being said, I still manage to balance my work and school obligations.
So how do I manage that time?
1. Availability:
On every job application I've ever filled out ever (and trust me, it's a lot), they ask for your availability. It's always tempting to make yourself available as much as possible. I do this, to some extent. Obviously, whenever I'm in class, I block that out, but I try to make any "free time" I may have part of my availability. Unfortunately, some employers may take advantage of this and schedule you to work every minute you're not already obligated to something else. To avoid this, I only say I'm available when I want to be working.
My point here, is this: leave yourself some free days. I think you'll regret not having any free days at all when you come across a week where you're trying to work a ridiculous number of hours while trying to stay on top of school work, studying for exams, and finding time to see friends to keep yourself sane.
2. Actually study:
So you've created a schedule where you're working when you're not in class, but you do still have some time to yourself. It's tempting to use that free-time to stare off into space (I do this quite a lot), but if you're in school you need to remember that schoolwork is important.
The point: ACTUALLY GET YOUR WORK DONE. Study for that exam. Read the assigned chapter. Finish your notes. Whatever academic obligation you have, DO IT. I'm the worst with procrastination, but when it comes down to it, I get all of my work done, usually with plenty of time before the due date. This is going to take some will- power and self-discipline, but it's definitely doable. So go do it.
3. Give yourself free time:
Once you've finished your homework, and you actually have a day off, do whatever you need to recharge or unwind! Trust me, you WILL have down time in between all the working and studying you're doing. I promise. Take this time to do whatever your little heart desires.
The point: While working and studying are both important, your mental health is just as important. If you're feeling stressed or overwhelmed with school and work, take a break! It's okay if you sometimes can't keep up with the workload. It happens to all of us. Take a mental health day and stay home and do nothing. Just remember that it should only be a day. Don't make a habit of shirking your responsibilities or obligations.
Those are my main tips for you! If you have any you'd like to add, please leave a comment!
xx
Rachel
A big obstacle that I had to face was balancing the work and school obligations. Obviously, school came first for me. I went to University for a reason, and working was not one of those reasons. Luckily, working on campus allowed for a lot of flexibility in my schedule. This flexibility only came in handy in terms of not being scheduled to work while I was in class.
Currently, I do not work on campus or for the University. I work somewhere completely unaffiliated with the university at all. That being said, I still manage to balance my work and school obligations.
So how do I manage that time?
1. Availability:
On every job application I've ever filled out ever (and trust me, it's a lot), they ask for your availability. It's always tempting to make yourself available as much as possible. I do this, to some extent. Obviously, whenever I'm in class, I block that out, but I try to make any "free time" I may have part of my availability. Unfortunately, some employers may take advantage of this and schedule you to work every minute you're not already obligated to something else. To avoid this, I only say I'm available when I want to be working.
My point here, is this: leave yourself some free days. I think you'll regret not having any free days at all when you come across a week where you're trying to work a ridiculous number of hours while trying to stay on top of school work, studying for exams, and finding time to see friends to keep yourself sane.
2. Actually study:
So you've created a schedule where you're working when you're not in class, but you do still have some time to yourself. It's tempting to use that free-time to stare off into space (I do this quite a lot), but if you're in school you need to remember that schoolwork is important.
The point: ACTUALLY GET YOUR WORK DONE. Study for that exam. Read the assigned chapter. Finish your notes. Whatever academic obligation you have, DO IT. I'm the worst with procrastination, but when it comes down to it, I get all of my work done, usually with plenty of time before the due date. This is going to take some will- power and self-discipline, but it's definitely doable. So go do it.
3. Give yourself free time:
Once you've finished your homework, and you actually have a day off, do whatever you need to recharge or unwind! Trust me, you WILL have down time in between all the working and studying you're doing. I promise. Take this time to do whatever your little heart desires.
The point: While working and studying are both important, your mental health is just as important. If you're feeling stressed or overwhelmed with school and work, take a break! It's okay if you sometimes can't keep up with the workload. It happens to all of us. Take a mental health day and stay home and do nothing. Just remember that it should only be a day. Don't make a habit of shirking your responsibilities or obligations.
Those are my main tips for you! If you have any you'd like to add, please leave a comment!
xx
Rachel
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