College tuition rates are constantly inflating. In the last 20 years, the cost of higher education has increased with an average annual growth rate of 6.8%. Working full-time while taking classes can help alleviate this increase.
For many students, it’s hardly possible to go to school without also working. Without maintaining a job, graduates take on detrimental amounts of debt that cripple their finances for years. With all the demands of work and school, is it even possible to do both successfully?
If you need to keep your job while getting your degree, this is the key to balancing full-time work with full-time school.
Time Management
Good time management skills are the only way to survive a full-time school schedule on top of a full-time work schedule. You’ll need to write down all of the places you need to be so that you don’t miss any important deadlines or events.
There are many resources available to help you keep track of your daily activities. You can set reminders on your phone that alert you every time you need to leave for a class or a shift. It’s also a good idea to set timers when you sit down to do an assignment. That way, you waste no time finishing the work you have planned for that block of time.
If you’re not a fan of using your phone for scheduling, you can go the old school route and write your to-do’s out in a paper planner. You can print off a free weekly schedule here to help you keep track of everything that’s going on.
Ask For Extensions
Let your professors know what you do for a living and how often you’re at work. Most of them will understand your demanding schedule if you communicate with them at the beginning of the semester. You can ask for extensions on certain projects or class events that conflict with your work schedule.
The secret to getting these extensions is how you present the question to your professor. Demanding extra time by complaining about work will get you nowhere fast. Be proactive about looking through your syllabus and checking that schedule for your boss.
The earlier you offer solutions for work conflicts, the more likely your instructor will accommodate your needs. They understand the grit it takes to work while in school, but the only way you’ll have grace for late assignments is by showing your dedication to performing well in their class.
Schedule Rest
When you have so many activities to balance, you likely won’t have lots of free time. The thing is, you won’t be productive without having a little downtime to give your brain a break. It’s important to schedule some time to rest even when it doesn’t seem like you have room for it.
Try finding an hour every day to do something you enjoy just for the heck of it. Without that little break to look forward to, you’ll likely crash halfway through the week and not have the energy to get everything you need to get done.
If you can, try giving yourself one day a week to reset. One day to sleep in, get chores done and catch up on assignments that might have slipped through the cracks. This small amount of restful preparation will help you feel more ready to tackle the week.
If you don’t think you can take up working full-time while attending school, maybe check out this article on How To Get Paid To Learn.
