When attending college, many people choose to spend their free time working as well. Having a job is important so you can take care of yourself, but focusing on your education is equally important if not more. Some people go to college and decide to pick up a part-time job while others will already have full-time jobs and decide they want to go to school as well. Everyone’s situation is different, and working while attending college can be quite the balancing act. The great thing is that it’s not impossible, and many people work while getting great grades and still maintaining their life outside of these things. Here are a few tips to help you out if you’re working and attending school at the same time.
Manage Your Time
When it comes to balancing these two things, your time management is of the utmost importance. In order to properly manage the time you spend between school and work, you have to take a look at yourself and figure out when and how you get the most work done. If you work evenings, you may want to think about staying up late or waking up early to get extra study time in. You may also want to think about how you spend your time on the weekend. A great tool to use when it comes to time management is time blocking, which helps you plan out how much time you’re going to spend on each task so you can hold yourself accountable and get things done when you’re at your most productive.
Communicate
As with most things, communication is key. It’s important to try and have an open dialogue with both your managers and your professors about the situation you’re currently in. By being open and honest with them about it, they’ll be more likely to want to help you figure things out when your feeling overwhelmed by your workload. Not only will this hopefully help improve your situation, but it can also allow you to grow your communication skills which will only become more important as you move through life.
Take Time For Yourself
You may be so focused on working and your studies that you forget to take some time for yourself. It’s important to avoid doing this. Having “me” time is extremely important, otherwise, you’re more likely to burn out which can only harm your education. Be sure to take days for yourself, whether they be to relax and read a book, or hang out with good friends who you haven’t had as much time to see lately. While work and school are important, your physical and mental wellbeing are ultimately more important.