How to Balance Work and Study Time Like a Pro

Learning is a lot easier when that’s all that you have to focus on. But with today’s prices, you might find that the only way to afford your degree is to have a job at the same time. If you’re in this situation, you might be struggling with how to balance work and study schedules effectively.

Feeling overwhelm isn’t pleasant, so I want to help you! Especially since you have the determination to get your degree, which is admirable. College can take you far, as I’ve said before.

So let’s get to making your life a easier with the tips below. While earning a degree as an employed adult can be a challenge, it is by no means impossible.

How to Balance Work and Study: Manage Your Time

The only way that you are going to manage your work shifts and school is to stick to a schedule. You need to carve out a block of time for when you can do your studies. That includes time for revision, reading, writing, etc.

If you have a set 9-5 job, then it will likely be easier for you to find time to do your studies than if your shifts constantly changes as they do in many retail positions. Thus, it’s even more important that you manage your time wisely if your work shifts change a lot. Particularly around exam time as tests usually account for most of the grade.

You can study at any time of the day (or night), as long as it’s convenient for you. But how well you do so depends on many factors, including whether you’re most alert in the morning or another time of the day. So plan your schedule accordingly, as I emphasize in the no-nonsense college guide for girls.

As per Business.com, 44% of women and 37% of men if given the choice prefer to work at night. That means that going to school and studying would be ideal during the day for those people.

Of course, if you don’t usually stick to a schedule, then you might find it hard to keep with it initially. However, after a few weeks you probably will find it gets easier and easier. You’re making a new routine and creating good habits to carry forward even after you graduate.

Make the Most of Online Courses

To make things easier for you, you no longer have to go a physical school to get your degree. You can now take degree programs online, such as Learning Cloud, to help you figure out how to balance work and study time as well as possible. And actually have a life too!

These online choices keep growing and growing. Thus, you have plenty of different courses to pick from, making it easy to find the right one for you. You can even learn English online, and other languages too, with complete flexibility using a number of different online platforms.

Then make sure you update your CV with online courses, once you complete them. What’s really cool is that you can just take one or two classes to brush up on certain skills; you don’t necessarily have to complete a degree.

With that new skill set, you can then find a better-paying job, a position that fulfills you, or simply learn something new. I think life would be boring if we don’t keep learning!

Don’t Take on Too Many Things at Once

Here’s me telling you this, hmph! I’m the one who always takes on way too much with the spirit of “I want to accomplish this and that and oh yeah that thing too.” But if you’re like me then please know that you can’t do everything all of the time.

Or it’ll catch up with you as it did when I got sick last week. So while you might want to take a lot of different courses, recognize that you also will be working part-time or full-time and the day only has so much time. Please hear me when I suggest not to spread yourself too thin as I know well how rundown the body can get.

And the mind too. Yes, mental exhaustion is a thing, people.

Therefore, while I give you props for wanting to take many courses, take time to speak with someone who knows the amount of time it takes to complete the course or program that interests you. By “time,” I mean not only the number of hours in class but also study time on average. Then you will know what to expect and whether it’s doable realistically with your work schedule and other outside commitments.

That person of reference could be someone who has taken the course or program already. Alternatively, it might be a campus counselor or someone you find through student services.

But worst-case scenario, let’s say you do take on more classes than you can handle. There’s no shame in dropping one, if need be. After all, while your degree is meaningful, I think your mental health and overall well-being are even more important.

Figuring Out how to Balance Work and Study Time

Returning to school while earning a degree is a tough thing for most people. It’s a huge commitment to pursue education after high school. But the rewards in the future can be amazing.

Even if you have a position in an industry that you enjoy, you might find that you need to learn and adapt to thrive in there over time. Which can take you back to school.

Also, if you want your supervisor to consider you for a promotion at work or are thinking about making a career change, then updating your education is normally a great way to get there. Although this next step might seem daunting, it is entirely doable. Sure, it has it’s challenges, but if you are patient and study effectively, you’ll successful get the goodness that you deserve.

Did you have a job while going to school? What are some other tips for how to balance work and study schedules?