As students graduate from high school and leave home for college campuses, they usually find their first job and earn money of their own. They try to make sure that their part-time job does not interfere with studying, and thus the problem is solved. But being a working adult who enrolls in college when he or she already has a stable job is a different experience.
It looks like a job is a top priority for you now, and it is time to adjust your studying in a way so that it does not interrupt your work. You cannot just say, “Well, I quit because it is hard to combine work and studies.” As you choose to proceed with your degree, you get the double pressure, because you still have work to do.
Withstanding months and years under increased pressure is a huge challenge. Nevertheless, you need to find a way to graduate without losing your job. Here are a few ideas that may help you get a degree, while at the same time saving your occupation and nerves.
Ease your workload
The first thing you can do to prepare for a start of a term is to take less work. Negotiate with your boss that you will do the minimum at your job and give up working long hours. Ask for less shifts if you can. Do not live with the illusion that you will be able to work as much as you did before. College takes time—no matter whether you move to your campus or study from home. Also, you need to decide where you can utilize that essential time.
Ask your department for an individualized plan
As you give up a part of your job for studying, make sure you do not have a gigantic curriculum either. If you can choose subjects, it will be perfect to take the bare minimum. If your curriculum is vast, negotiate on taking an individualized studying plan. It will help you take as many classes as you can and it will relieve your academic pain. Besides, you can always negotiate your deadlines with teachers. Explain you are not a fresh graduate any more, but you are still eager to get the degree. Many teachers will understand your situation.
Manage your time wisely
Being put into tight constraints, you certainly have no more time for procrastination. What is more, you do not have time for things you did before you enrolled in college. It can be pity to restrict your life to work and college, but you will need to give up some activities you did before. Certainly, you cannot cancel health care appointments or any other primary things. But you will need to put aside hanging out with peers as well as many other kinds of entertainment. Try to stuff your daily schedule only with events you cannot avoid and devote the remaining time to essential rest.
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Get rid of unimportant tasks
As you sacrifice your favorite entertainment for work and study, you should do the same to many chores you used to take on. Think of your many daily habits. Most of them take time that you can save and use for studying. You may be too busy to go shopping with a friend. Or, you may have no time to sit on your favorite terrace and have your morning coffee or lunch every day. We often do not pay attention to how much time small details take from us. But if you abandon them, you will get more precious hours in your schedule.
Rely on the help of your family
Though there are things you can stop doing and not lose anything. Some tasks you should carefully delegate to people by your side. If you have children, ask your parent or husband to pick them up from school. If you are running out of groceries, ask your family again to do some shopping while you are away. The same refers to laundry and a dozen of other daily chores someone has to do for you.
Have a person who will help you in case of an emergency
It is good that your family can help you take care of kids and work around the house while you work and study. But you may still not meet deadlines every now and then. To avoid sleepless nights and wasted nerves, you should have a person to help you with your academic assignments if you are in a hurry. There are plenty of freelance writers out there, and you can hire one of them to make sure you will not collapse in the case of an academic emergency.
Save time for relaxation
We gave you many tips on how to save time, but you are not supposed to spend all of it on work or education. It is crucial that you take enough rest and relax. Sleep well, and devote some hours in the evening to a glass of your favorite drink and your most appreciated movie. Regular relaxation will take away the worries about your everyday routine and it will help you to remain a happy and healthy person.
Stay positive
Positive thinking is a key to good mental health, and you will need it to graduate from college while keeping up with work. Many things and events will upset you in this period. Nevertheless, you have to learn to distantiate from them. Life is not all about working and studying. We keep doing them to reach more meaningful goals, like raising the well-being of our family or building a better future for ourselves. But this is only possible when we do not let everyday routine ruin us. Stay strong in the face of crisis and keep thinking of more meaningful things that inspire you. Studying comes and goes, but you need to stay strong and have vigor in the face of your boring routine.