College: Some of the most crucial years in determining our future in which we are both spending large amounts of money on school, while at the same time trying to work and save money to make up for what we are spending. Completing schoolwork and doing well is most important as essentially you are paying for what kind of work you put into it, but having the funding for all necessities, extras, and school itself is also required while being a student. I, personally, have had to grow to learn how to manage both a full-time job all while being in school full-time. Here are some of the top things I have learned about balancing a full-time job all while being a full-time student.
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1. You can most definitely do it.
Telling yourself you can manage it and believing in yourself if the first beneficial step in managing both of these demanding lifestyles. It is a lot to balance and it takes a great amount of planning but instilling the confidence in yourself and assuring yourself you can do it successfully will place you one step ahead in the positive direction.
2. Stay on top of things.
Staying on top of assignments will serve you best while managing a full-time job on the side. Knowing when things are due and knowing how long each assignment will take you to complete are two of the easiest ways to do this. When you have an estimate of how long each assignment will take you to finish, in your free time, when you are neither in class nor working, you can work on the more time-consuming assignments to get them out of the way long before they are even due. This allows you to complete the easier and less time-consuming assignments closer to the due date without stressing you out. Taking at least one day off work a week to complete all homework assignments for the week is even more ideal to assure that you get your assignments finished.
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3. Work more on the weekends.
The first thought that may have just popped into your head was something along the lines of “this is my time to rest” or “this is when I am supposed to have my social time” but trust me, working more on the weekends and less through the week will, in the long run, probably lower your stress levels than if you would work more during the week when you have classes. Working late and having to be up early for class is not ideal to most students, or anyone for that matter, so taking it easier during the week and working more on the weekends is something I have found to be beneficial as I balance these two things.
4. Try to work on campus.
I personally do not work on campus but many of my friends and peers have on campus jobs. They are generally more willing to work around your class schedule and not work you too much since they first-hand know that schoolwork comes first. If you are trying to lessen the burden of paying off tuition later in life, most colleges take your pay and apply it to what you owe for tuition. Knowing you are working to pay off school will lessen the overall stress causing you to want to work for this reason in the first place.
5. Take time for yourself, self-care is important!
Finding the time to do homework in between class time and work hours can be difficult enough but finding time to take care of yourself and still do things you enjoy is crucial. Taking care of yourself is important in preventing burning out and keeping yourself sane. If you don’t have the time to take a whole beach day or go on any kind of trip, focus on small things you enjoy such as reading, journaling, or just lying in bed for some time watching your favorite show and doing a face mask. Focus on your physical health and mental health and everything else will flow! (Insert Giphy) Giphy.com https://media.giphy.com/media/l1J9PdkDJ2r8sg4ZG/giphy.gif
Best of luck to you as you take on working while being a student. Always remember that you can manage these lifestyles and balance them if you have the confidence in yourself to do it! Manage your time and always take time for self-care!
HCXO,
Abby