I recently got a job and have realized that it takes a lot to balance both work and school. Doing homework from class is hard on its own, adding a job on top of it can sometimes be extremely stressful. At first, I honestly did not know how I would be able to not only do both, but do well at both. I think that I have done pretty good at figuring out what works best for me and I thought I would share that with you today!
I believe that the first step when tackling these situations is to figure out exactly what you are dealing with. Either write your schedule in your planner or just on a blank sheet of paper. Include the times you will be in class and write the times you will be at work. Figure out what times you will dedicate to eating, hanging out with others, homework, and what free time you will have. This will obviously fluctuate every day and every week, but it gives you a good idea of how you will need to spend your time. I know that the times that I forget to plan out my days, I sometimes spend the time I have off not realizing that I need to still be doing things. This results in me later trying to cram it in when I could of been doing it in those times that I was just sitting around. Plus, I like to have everything written down because it helps me to not feel like I am forgetting something or have something hanging over my head. Plus, who doesn’t love checking things off?
Next, utilize your days off. I know after a long work and school week you will want to relax. But, in order to be as stress free as possible, you might need to do homework on the weekends. I always try and get as much done as I can during the week, so that I can have the weekends free. However, this is not always a reality. When this happens, rather than putting it off till Sunday, I will start working on it immediately on Friday. This lets me know how much time I need to dedicate to work on Saturday and Sunday, and usually it is not much because I got the majority of it done during the week and on Friday.
Don’t let yourself be lazy. There are so many days where I just want to sit and and be on my phone after work when I know I need to get stuff done. So, what I will do is tell myself that I can have 15 more minutes being lazy and then I will start doing my homework. Also, promising myself that after these 15 minutes I can have a 5 minute break. Usually I will not even take this break because I have become so focused within those 15 minutes that I want to just get the assignment done. Often, building up the focus to start your homework is much harder than actually doing it.
Lastly, work and school is overwhelming for everyone. Make sure to find the time to decompress and chill out. School and work is important, but your well being is more important! Don’t forget to make memories and have fun because these are some of the best times of your life! College students are very set on succeeding and being the best. I have seen so many people stay up all night before a test and fill their body with caffeine just to get through the day. Take care of yourself and have confidence that you will be the best.