Being a working student is extremely difficult, you need to attend lectures for 6-8 hours a day, and then work a shift. On top of that, students have numerous assignments at university, which need to be handled. As a student, I preferred to pay someone to write my paper, so I could spend more time on work and other important College projects. Some students work at night, which significantly aggravates the situation: there is simply no time to prepare for tests and exams, not to mention rest and full sleep.
In this article, you will learn how to find a balance between work and education so as not to lose control of the situation and not fall into the funnel of exhaustion. Don’t try to bite off more than you can chew cause it will be dangerous to your health, and, hence, hinder your academic success.
The academic load is different for everyone, depending on the educational institution, Course, and schedule of classes. Therefore, there is no ideal “work/study” model that would suit all students without exceptions. However, you can create such a model yourself by adapting our tips to your situation.
Three components of life need to be managed competently: work, study, and personal life. Many students go headlong into the first two areas and forget about the importance of socialization, recreation, and leisure. Without all this, life becomes incomplete, a person quickly comes to depression, burnout, and moral exhaustion. No matter how much you want to work hard and strive for academic success, you need to remember that health and mental state are much more important.
Don’t try to bite off more than you can swallow. Don’t take extra shifts at work if they take away a few hours of healthy sleep from you. Give up extracurricular activities at the university if participating in them gives you trouble, not pleasure. These activities are great if you have some extra time, but if you don’t then simply leave them out for now.
To be organized and disciplined at work and school, you need to make a clear schedule. You can’t do without it if your head is spinning from the number of daily tasks: you can just forget about something, and if you remember, you will work at night. A schedule visualizes your daily tasks and makes it easier for your brain to keep track of everything. Some people prefer to keep it in digital format, however, I highly recommend printing it out and placing it somewhere in your workspace. Make it bright and colorful, so it improves your mood when looking at it.
When planning tasks, consider:
- deadlines;
- degree of importance;
- the need to perform (optional or not).
To set priorities correctly, you can use a special table. The point is to divide the cases into 4 categories, according to two criteria: importance and urgency. Four categories are: urgent and important, urgent and not important, not urgent important, not urgent, and not important.
If you are an adherent of modern technologies, and do not really like traditional paper gliders, use the applications. They will help make your day as productive as possible.
We recommend keeping a count of the time you spend on completing certain tasks. This way you can more accurately predict how many hours it will take to write an essay, prepare reports at work, etc.
Be flexible
In addition to the daily schedule, write down short-term and long-term goals: passing a course project, attending an event, and how much money you want or need to earn this month. This will help to easily adapt the schedule according to the given plan.
Some parts of the schedule will be flexible, and some will not, for example, classes and exams at a university. Keep this in mind when making changes to the schedule, try to leave a couple of free hours every week for unplanned tasks. This will help to be flexible, and not to feel uncomfortable if an urgent task “appears” at work or school.
As a working student, you should be prepared for sudden changes in plans and unexpected events. Mark the tasks in the schedule that can be shifted/excluded if necessary.
Strive for productivity
If you work and study at the same time, it may seem that there is no free time at all. If you exclude the “time eaters”, then you can carve out at least 1 free hour every day.
“Time eaters” are activities that drag a person out, while not bringing tangible benefits. These include games on a smartphone, and hanging on social media. social media, scrolling through the news feed, etc.
Make sure you don’t waste your free time. Instead of texting on WhatsApp, call a friend or invite him to visit, instead of stupid games, read a book, take a relaxing bath, do a couple of simple exercises, or do stretching. These classes will help to distract from pressing problems, but, unlike the “time eaters”, they will bring a lot of benefits.
If you’re ready for something more drastic, try waking up 2 hours earlier. But be prepared to make other lifestyle changes: if you just deprive yourself of 2 hours of sleep, there will be little benefit.
Eat, sleep, take care of yourself
For a purposeful young man, nothing is impossible if he treats his health correctly. Eating fast food and not getting enough sleep is not the best way to cope with all tasks. Make sure you eat healthy food, exercise, and take care of your body. Listen to yourself and react correctly to changes in your well-being.
Many continue to work and study, even if they get sick. This is the wrong approach: poor health suggests that the body needs rest, attention, and care. If you feel any kind of pain, go to the doctor, and do not bury your head in the sand. If you feel exhausted—- revise the schedule and give up tasks that are not particularly important. It’s best to take a vacation or a day off at work to exhale a little and take care of yourself.
Read Successful Tips on How to Balance Business with Education.
