Many full-time college students also have full-time jobs which can be difficult to manage on top of a personal life, I know because it is for me. Working as a medical assistant and being a full-time student hasn’t really stressed me out as much as I thought it would. I like to believe it is because of how I use and strategize my time. If you would like someone else’s perspective on managing school and work then keep reading!
1. Use The Calendar App
The one tool that I believe everyone should use is the calendar app on your phone. What I like to do is go through my syllabus as soon as the professor uploads it on Blackboard and go through each due date to then add it to my calendar. I also make different color labels for each subject in order to have a more organized look. I recommend inputting a reminder notification to notify you one day before it’s due as well as the day it’s due. I also like the sense of urgency I get when I receive the notification. I like to add things throughout each week such as my personal agenda, that way I can have an overview of each month and what days will be my busiest so I won’t add more than I can handle.
2. No Homework On Weekends
Another very important thing I recommend you do is make sure on weekends you have as little homework as possible. Why? You might ask, well because I like to restart my brain on the weekends. I personally would rather not stress 24/7 because then it becomes a never-ending cycle. Designating each day of the week for one subject or to one activity helps you balance both work and school. For example, if you work all afternoon and then come home to try and do more than one class you’ll over exhaust yourself and end up giving up. Weekends should be used for a mental reset and prepare yourself for what’s to come in the week, a clean start if you will.
3. Love Your Job!
The final thing I want to mention to you that has worked for me is finding a job you like even if it’s a temporary job. I work with such amazing people and we’re very close-knit. When I go to work I know that if I have a test due or a zoom meeting they cover me until I am done with that assignment. Sometimes they are even part of my assignment! For example, if I need to submit an interview or do a PR deal I turn to them because I know that they want me to succeed in life and they are my support system since my family is three hours away.
Time management really is key and I had to figure that out the hard way. I was ready to give up on my dream career and just work a job that didn’t make me happy. I felt very overwhelmed trying to balance both work and school but I decided if I was going to not give up on my career, I would need to get organized and manage my future moves.