Jobs in College: Balancing Work and Study

Balancing work and school can be tricky whether you are in your junior or senior year in college. Meeting the demands for schoolwork and extra-curricular activities can be difficult and complicated as coursework projects that are time-sensitive are given from time to time.

While it may seem daunting, there are many students that manage both school and work easily. It is true that you may have to study over some weekends, but you can balance work and study with careful planning. Below are some few tips that will help you overcome the challenge of balancing work and study:

Separate Work From School

Keep school and work separate. At work, you probably have a daily schedule, so make one for school too. When at work, switch off your mind from school work. Thinking about assignment deadlines or exams can make you stressed up and reduce your productivity at work.

The same also goes for school. When studying for a test or writing a paper, forget about your work. Concentrate fully on the task at hand. Keeping school  and work separate will save you from being overwhelmed.

Carry Home Your Assignments

Depending on the work that you are doing, you may not need to be at your desk to finish all your tasks. If this applies to you, there are tasks you can accomplish without being at the workplace or in school. For example, you can carry work tasks at home to start on them when you are free. In the case of school work, you can find time to read some notes as you are commuting home or even when at a doctor’s office waiting to be seen.

Allocate Enough Time

When allocating time for study and work related tasks, it is important to allocate enough time for each task. Allocating sufficient time will help you stick to your schedule and prevent you from falling behind with your work. For example, if you allocate three hours to make a work presentation but it actually takes eight hours, your study schedule will be disrupted. To stay on schedule with our school work, you will have to find time to compensate for the extra hours that you did not plan for.

Keep Your Employer in the Know

As your test day nears, try to communicate your schedule with your employer. Let the manager know about the tasks you are expected to do at school and when you are planning to do work-related tasks. Communicating your schedule ensures that everyone is one the same page. Also, let the employer know that study does not interfere with your work, but rather enhances your personal development.

Stay Focused

Things will get tough from time to time. When they do, remember why you took the extra responsibility in the first place. Are you studying to land a promotion or go after a new career? You are bound to be stressed along them way but reminding yourself of your goals will help you stay focused and persevere.

Also, keep track of how far you have come and what you need to do to get through with your study program. Realizing how much you have accomplished will give you a sense of pride and encourage you to continue studying.

Balancing school and work is possible with good planning and being smart. Following the above tips will help you avoid stress that results from being overwhelmed with so much to do at work and school. However, if you cannot manage school and work, you should consider reducing the number of courses you are taking or your working hours to be more productive in both areas.

Author Bio

Ryan Ayers is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to education. In this article, he offers tips to full time employed students and aims to encourage further study with a masters degree in education, click here for more information.