Tips for Balancing Work and School
Get your degree and still have time for yourself
If you have a full-time job but don’t have a degree, you may have noticed that you don’t make as much money as your diploma-toting colleagues, or maybe you’ve been passed over for one or two promotions. If you’ve made the decision to go back to school, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed as you wonder how you’re going to fit a college education into your already busy schedule. While it might seem daunting, remember that people do it all the time. Online degree programs and campus programs for working adults make this even easier.
Balance work and school. The first key to balancing work and school is staying organized and always knowing what your calendar looks like for each. If you know you have a conference coming up in two weeks and a paper due in three, you won’t have any excuses not to get that paper finished on time, and you won’t miss any of the excitement at your conference. Try using a day planner or even an online calendar to manage your tasks. Surprises and unplanned events almost always pop up, but if you’re flexible with your time and stay on top of your assignments for work and for school, emergencies won’t disrupt your entire schedule as dramatically.
Separate work from school. It’s also important to keep work and school separate. You probably already have a set daily work schedule, so make one for school, too. While you’re at work, don’t worry about your next exam—you don’t need the added stress affecting your performance at work. And the same goes for school. When you’re writing a paper or studying for a test, forget about your job. Concentrate on thing at a time. Keeping the two separate will help any feelings of being overwhelmed at bay.
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