Balancing Work and School Made Easy! Keep your Sanity!

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A report out of Georgetown University found that 70% of college students were working while attending college. There are various reasons why students work while earning their degree, be it out of necessity, a will to progress more quickly in their careers, or to pay for college. Despite the reason for this high statistic being the reality, the need for balancing work and school proves to be one of utmost importance.

By finding a balance between work, school, and your personal life, you will be able to be engaged with your day-to-day activities, feel more satisfied, and help to reduce anxiety, stress, and burnout.

In this article, we will cover how you can make the most out of working full time and going to school.

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How to Balance School and Work: Tips and Techniques

It goes without saying that every type of student is different and requires different things to feel balanced. However, the following list is one that’s filled with some of the best recommendations for being able to balance work and school effectively for any type of learner. Take a look:

1. Set Goals

It may seem trivial, but setting goals is a useful tactic to balance work and school. This is because by defining your goals clearly, you will be able to better prepare and prioritize your work and school schedules. For example, if your goal is to minimize the years you have to spend in school, then you may choose to enroll full-time and work part-time as opposed to work full-time and enroll in school part-time. Having a clear set of goals defined will impact how you make decisions and spend your time in accordance.

Not to mention, when work or school begins to feel too overwhelming, you can look back at your goals on the page and remember why you are doing what you are doing.

2. Create a Schedule

One of the most obvious ways to balance work and school is to create a schedule that works for you. Here’s the caveat: If you attend a traditional college campus, then you will have less say in when your classes are being held. Compare that with an online college experience in which you can choose when and where you want to study.

With this in mind, regardless of the flexibility in your schedule, try to use a scheduler to make the most out of your time. You can schedule your work hours, lecture hours, study time, social time, family time, and self-care time. Having your time written in a calendar or planner will also help you to better understand how you are allocating your time so that you can maximize every moment.

3. Rely on Your Support System

There are people all around you who are likely as invested in your success as you are yourself. From managers to professors and friends and family, you have to feel confident to ask for help when you need it. For example, if you let your boss know that you have a big exam coming up and need some extra study time, you may be able to limit your work hours or work remotely for the week.

4. Set Boundaries

Within your professional, academic, and personal life, setting clear boundaries can make all the difference in providing you with a feeling of balance. More often than not, setting boundaries will come down to learning how to say no or how to push back. To illustrate, if your friends are asking you to come out after a hard week at work and school and you’d prefer to relax and take part in a self-care routine, then saying “no” or “next time” can work in your favor. It may seem hard at the time, but it can make a world of difference in the long-run in helping to prevent feelings of burnout or allowing resentment to build.

5. Follow Your Interests

Confucius once said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” It’s unlikely that you will find a job or a subject to study in which you will love every single minute of what you have to do. However, if you have a genuine interest or are passionate about your choice of study and your work role, then you will feel happier and more engaged overall. This will contribute to better mental health and the ability to balance your own schedule wisely because you can think clearly, be engaged, and be present in whatever you are working on (whether it’s work or school).

6. Practice Self-Care

No matter how hectic your academic or professional schedule may become, it’s crucial to take breaks and recharge. In an academic setting, this could look like exercising the Pomodoro technique where you set a timer for 25 minutes of intense focus and then take a 15-30 minute break and repeat. In your personal life, this could look like partaking in self-care rituals such as exercising, meditating, journaling, or even treating yourself to a spa day.

7. Consider Online College

We’ve alluded to it before, but one of the best ways for balancing work and school is to attend an online university. For example, the University of the People is an entirely online and accredited academic institution where students can earn their degrees or enroll in certificate programs. Plus, the University of the People is tuition-free, which makes it an affordable alternative to traditional and costly colleges. In turn, you may even be able to cut down on your work hours if your plan was to work to help pay for college because the expense of earning your degree will be lessened.

Balance is Possible

Balancing work and school is possible when you put a little thought and intention into doing so. There will undoubtedly be times when your work schedule or school schedule is seemingly too demanding, but it’s up to you to be able to adjust and recognize any need to slow down. By prioritizing tasks, setting a schedule, remaining aware of your goals, and seeking support when needed, you can figure out how to balance school and work!

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