Are you a student who works while studying? Even though this can be a nice opportunity to earn some money and save them for your goals and plans, doing this can be really challenging and tiring. You need to be part of classes, write your assignments and essays, and also collaborate with colleagues on group projects. But on the other side, you also want to travel and see the world, and for this, you need money which you earn from your part-time job. Some students take on a full-time job while studying and this poses even a greater challenge. Managing your studying and working schedule effectively can be difficult.
Why? Because no matter how well you organize them, changes can quickly appear and your schedules can easily overlap. It seems that there are so many challenges to tackle when you study and work at the same time. We come to your help and provide you with some tips and tricks that will help you to effectively balance studying and working.
Build a Schedule
Even though this might seem like not a big deal, actually building a schedule to follow can help you organize your time more effectively. It is important to note down every task you have in one day and program it on your weekly schedule. If you have your working hours there, it will be easy to see when you have some spare time and decide to do something relaxing. The more detailed your schedule will be, the more inclined you will be to follow it. You can also build your color code to mark all the tasks you have and also deadlines and follow them easier.
Prioritizations List
Another thing you can do to effectively balance studying and working is to make a prioritizations list. As a student, you surely want to do a lot of things. You have some obligations such as writing your essays, but you also want to spend your leisure time with your friends and engaging in relaxing activities. It is important to be honest with yourself and understand how much time you have left, besides the one for studying and working. In some moments, you might be more crowded than usual so you will not have enough time to do all you want. This is why it is important to know your priorities and be realistic when you build your schedule and plan your activities.
Be Organized
One of the things you need to do to successfully manage to study and working is to be as organized as possible. You will sometimes run between classes and your job, so there is a high chance to mix things. It is therefore important to be as organized as you can so that it will be easier to pursue all your goals. For example, you could keep all your study materials in one place to make it easier to find them when you start studying. At the same time, if you have all your deadlines noted on your calendar, it will be easier to organize your time and get reminders to not forget about your tasks.
Always Consider Buffer Time
One of the things you need to do to effectively balance studying and working is a schedule. A schedule helps you be more organized and share your time between what you have to do and what you want to do. But it is essential to always consider buffer time in case the unexpected happens. It is important to be strict with your priorities but is equally important to be flexible with your schedule. Do not put too much strain on yourself and allow for unexpected things to happen. Classes might change, deadlines might be extended or shortened, so it is important to be flexible.
Do Things Ahead of Time
One of the things that many students do is to leave all their tasks to the last minute. If you do not start working on your essays or assignments ahead of time, your schedule will likely be very crowded. And if you also have a crowded period at your job, you will easily get stressed and anxious. Stressed students may perform worse and be less productive. How can you make sure you start your essays and assignments ahead of time? If you have bigger tasks, break them into smaller ones and plan them in your schedule. Like this, you will do small steps every day and you avoid crowding your schedule.
Keep Distractions Away
Something that might prevent you from achieving your goals and accomplishing your tasks is the distractions around you. No matter if you study or work, they might always be there and interrupt your creative and cognitive processes. Distractions can come in many forms, such as a notification on your smartphone, an email in your inbox, a colleague asking you something. Keeping distractions away is essential because you will be able to focus and find your productivity easier.
Take Breaks
Students have a pretty hectic life, full of activities and tasks they want to do. However, constantly being engaged in something might tire you, and exhaustion or burnout can easily appear. Many students work during the day and try to study during the night, but this is a challenging thing to do that comes with consequences. The lack of sleep has a severe impact on your mental health and also energy levels. It is therefore important to take regular breaks and allow your brain to relax and unwind.
As a student, you surely want to do a lot of things. You need to take part in classes and write your essays and assignments. And you also want to have fun with your friends, travel, and party. Many students combine studying and working, but few of them manage to balance them effectively. These tips and tricks could be of huge help for you; you only need to put them to practice.