Not having enough time in the day is a common problem for many people. It makes it much harder to carry out a full-time job and study, let alone take care of children, parents and relationships. With a plan you can incorporate both into your life to achieve your goals and gain work life balance.
Why should you consider going back to school/college?
When you work full time the only way your career can grow might be through achieving qualifications. Another upside is that in some jobs gaining more qualifications can sometimes mean being paid more.
How to work and study at the same time?
Firstly, take a look at your life and be realistic about the time you can dedicate to studying. Factors like work, family and children may take away some of the time you can spare.
- Select a course that suits you: This will be determined by the subject, the qualification you will gain and the flexibility around your life. Take a look at our selection of courses.
- Speak with your employer: Some companies may reimburse tuition or offer other continuing education benefits. Ask if it’s possible to shift or be flexible so classes can be scheduled.
- Get organised: Book study times just like you book work meetings. Write it in your diary so that you can make sure you are free at those times. You might also use an online planner to do this.
- Find support: Recruit friends and family to help you, this is especially essential if you have children and need some peace to study.
- Assess your progress: You may need to juggle things around if something is not working for you.
- Look after yourself: Through the study grind don’t forget to eat, sleep and find time to relax.
How to make the most of your time
If you are employed full-time, you must squeeze in your studying. Here are some time management strategies that can apply to your day:
- Use a planner: Note down important deadlines and meetings. Use your planner to block out times, study sessions and assignment due dates.
- Task stack: Group similar tasks together into chunks rather than tackling your tasks one at a time. For example, while at work return all phone calls together or answer all emails together.
- Eliminate distractions: Limit social media, TV, excess phone use. Only check emails at designated times to avoid distraction.
- Wake up early: Use mornings for studying before the chaos of work and family takes over.
How to maintain balance
On some days balancing everything from work, school and family life can just feel too much. Here are some tips on maintaining this:
- Set boundaries: Protect your time and learn when to say no to adding more tasks to your list. Pause for lunch to catch your breath and have some time to reset.
- Schedule breaks: When we schedule our study time and work meetings, we should schedule our breaks as well. This will make sure you don’t forget to rest.
- Make yourself a priority: Make healthy eating, good sleep and stress management a part of your life. This will help your work life balance.
- Be flexible: Learn to be flexible as sometimes things we cannot control happen and you have to be flexible with your schedule.
Final Thoughts
Working full-time and studying can be very hard, but with some planning and motivation, you can achieve both successfully. With the tips above your goals are within reach and you can also get paid and improve your career prospects at the same time.