November 17, 2016

So you are attending college or university and happen to be invited to get the job of your dreams. Or you are already there but your hours have just been increased from part-time to full-time and it seems like a great opportunity for you. A celebration should be on its way, but you are just stressing about how you are going to conciliate them both – as giving up on your degree isn’t an option for you either.

Here is where these tips on how to combine study and work will help you to sleep better. Yes, it is possible to do so, and you might have even heard some stories about it from your parents, older friends or relatives. So get yourself ready to face this challenge and make the best of the experience.

Write down why you are doing it

The first thing that you will need to have clear in your mind is why you are doing it. You must have a good reason not to drop out of college or to give up on the job. It can be money, it can be fear of putting all your eggs in one basket. It doesn’t even matter if it is a good one or not, only that it makes sense for you at this moment.

The point here is that you write it down and have it somewhere you can see it often because you will need it when you feel like it is all too much. Things might not go as you expected and you feel overwhelmed, so you might end up not thinking clearly. So keep it visible and use it as a reminder and as an incentive in your journey.

Make a plan

A plan will be all that is required so to conciliate studying with working full-time. To build yours, you will need to know how much time you will have in your hands, what you must do both at work and at your course, and what is realistically possible to be done.

Then you can prepare a list and try to organize them the best way that you can. Try to negotiate any possible overlaps regarding time, but the key here is to make the most of the time that you have and avoid perfectionism. Accept that you can only do the best that you can, nothing more than that.

Final (extra) tips

There are some other things should be taking into consideration in this scenario, such as:

Analyse your class schedule, specifically your exams and assignments calendar, so you can get yourself organized;

Study on a daily basis so you won’t have to deal with a large amount of content in one go;

Make the most of your classes: pay attention to everything that is said, take notes, ask your doubts;

Don’t be afraid to delegate or ask for help if you need support doing personal things, such as shopping, cleaning or going to the bank;

If you have any extra cash available, consider the possibility to save time by asking someone to do your manicure or your hair in your place;

You should also consider hiring a writing service to help you with your assignments;

Try any app available to help you to keep procrastination away and to make sure you will stick with your schedule.

And, as a final note, never neglect the importance of eating well and getting plenty of rest and sleep. If you are tired, stressed or lacking nutrients in your body, your level of productive will fall and nothing that you have planned will work out.