When I started studying little did I know about the challenges of managing work and studies. To be honest, managing studies and work is not easy, not always fun and it requires a lot of self-discipline. Still loads of people do study while working, so cannot be mission impossible, right?
My experience of studying and working same time
I’ve studied and worked at the same time for about 1,5 years now and realized few things, which really helps to manage studies while working. As I have found these useful, I will share my tips for you as well.
My 3,5 tips for you to use managing studies
- First and foremost, planning the schedule ahead is crucial. You can use digital or traditional calendar, planner or timetable, which ever you find most suitable. Write down the deadlines for exams, reports, and exercises. Use colour codes if you like and make sure the schedule is always somewhere to be seen. This helps you to plan your weeks (life) and ease the stress of trying to get everything done in a very last minute. For me, this has made me start to do the study work well in advance of the deadlines. Not always, but most of the time.
- Forget all the hobbies you might have, long weekends with friends, strolling around the city, enjoying coffee at the coffee shops, or having dinners at the restaurant. Focus to your schedule and do what you have to do. One by one. This is not a joke. You don’t have to stop living completely, but you need to prioritize in a very strict way, which is not always easy and never fun.
- Despite the previous, give yourself mercy, at least every now and then. Take a break, go for a walk or run, watch one episode of your favourite tv show, enjoy a chocolate bar, drink coffee, call a friend or take a nap. You are not a machine, even though sometimes it would be quite useful feature to have.
- Use the less busy time at work for studying. I realize this might not be as easy as it sounds, as you need the permission from the boss. Therefore this tip is only half one. I have used my day offs and weekends mostly for studies. Also as the summer is a bit quieter for me at work, I’ve managed to write few reports during the summer and taken a bit of a stress away from the autumn semester.
Does it work?
So far, I have managed to keep up with the studies as recommended by the Lapland University of Applied Sciences. I’ve also handled my day work, our dog is very much alive and happy, I’m still married and have started renovating our house.
Lapland UAS also have different guides for new students, which are useful and worth having a look.
Studies will still continue for some time, so I plan to stick with the above and do my best. What do you think, could my tips how to manage studies while working be useful for you too? Share your view in the comments!
