Working and Going to School: Can You do Both?
During my senior year of college, I was taking five courses, I was the editor-in-chief of my college newspaper and I was working 40 hours a week.
From personal experience, I can honestly say that working full-time and going to school full-time is difficult, but it is also entirely possible. Whether you are a current college student who wants to get a job, or a current employee who wants to go back to school, this is possible! Keep in mind that this balancing act is not for the faint of heart. You will also struggle maintaining a personal life amidst all of this. It is possible to have it all, but if you don’t have the ability to make cope with the stress of everything, this course is not for you.
Don’t Make a Stupid Schedule
You need to make sure that you can be an effective student as well as an effective employee. If you build your schedule so that you have no time to get to class or work on time and fresh, this won’t be sustainable.
Before you start your new job, let them know what days you need off in order to attend your packed class days. This probably means that you are going to have to work weekends. You also need to structure your course schedule so that on days where you don’t work, you attend class. You will inevitably have some days that overlap. Try to put all of your classes either in the morning or at night depending on whether or not you work day or night shifts.
After a week with this schedule, start looking for the holes in it. If you don’t have time to get to work or school freshly dressed and showered, or if you aren’t getting the sleep you need, this is not sustainable and you need to reorganize your day to make it work.
Don’t Allow Yourself to Procrastinate
Look, you’re going to be busy and you’re going to need downtime, but that doesn’t mean that you should avoid getting your work and school work done. Part of having strong emotional IQ at work is learning how to schedule breaks while still remaining productive.
If you struggle with procrastination, there are a ton of tools online that can help you kick it to the curb. Heck, even the timer on your smartphone can help you set short breaks without diving into full procrastination.
Prioritize Your Harder Courses
During my last semester of college, I had two classes that were very difficult and three that I could have done in my sleep. This was the case with almost every semester of my college career.
The reality is that you need to decide for yourself which courses are going to require more of your time. If you are a math wiz, but you can’t pass a composition course to save your life, devote some of the time you’d spend on your math class into your composition course.
This way if you are forced to miss one of your classes during the week, you know which one will make the smallest impact.
Know When It’s Time to Lighten Your Load
When your grades start to slip or your work output starts to diminish, you know that it might be time to start lightening your load. There is no shame in not being able to balance all of this because it is not for everyone.
If this happens to you, consider cutting your hours at work back to part time. If that isn’t an option for you, then you need to consider dropping a course or two. Remember, it’s better to drop one course than to fail two.
If You Can Make it Happen, Apply for Jobs With a Winning Resume
The ambition and desire to make this happen is half the battle. If you want to make it work and are willing to put the effort in, you can make it happen.
If you’re ready to start looking for work, make sure you are sending a resume that works! Professional resume writers have the ability to make a resume that gets attention. Your resume will stop a hiring manager in their tracks, and get you the interviews you’ve been craving.
Click here to set up a free consultation with a professional resume writer, and get your future started today!