Balancing college and a full-time job can sometimes feel like a high wire balancing act. For other people it can seem impossible. However, it is important to have the attitude that anything is possible if you just put your mind to it. Moreover, you want to put your heart into it as well. Once those two things are in place, your resourceful nature will kick into gear and you will find ways to fit college into your work life and vice versa.
If you are in a dead-end job or working full time in a field you aren’t particularly interested in or passionate about, getting a college degree may be the only way out of your current situation and into a position that is more personally rewarding and pays more. Whatever the case may be, investing your time and resources to pursue a college degree will be worth it. Here is how to balance college and a full-time job.
- Maintain an Up-to-Date Schedule at all Times
One of the best ways to balance school and a full time job is to maintain a schedule. Ideally, you want to keep this schedule on hand so that you can review it when you need to. This is why you may want to keep your schedule in your phone and sync it with all your devices.
- Get Plenty of Sleep and Eat Right
Of course, you also want to get plenty of sleep and you want to eat right. The last thing you want is to work all day and then do your school work all night. You want to work your schedule around so that you are doing everything within a given day. Moreover, you want to eat three balanced meals daily to ensure you have the energy and stamina to get everything done on time.
- Tell Your Boss that You are Pursuing a College Degree
Most bosses will understand and support your desire to continue learning. If your boss doesn’t understand, then maybe this job isn’t for you. The truth is that you want to let your boss know when your classes are, so that your work schedule is organized around it. Indeed, most bosses are excited to have an employee that is furthering his or her education.
- Take Breaks When You Need Them
If you aren’t taking enough breaks, you will undoubtedly burn out. It is important to take a long break for lunch to gather your thoughts. Ideally, you want to let yourself breathe and you want to take a moment to de-stress. If you are always going and not stopping to smell the roses, you start to feel overwhelmed. This is why lots of short breaks here and there will keep you on task.
- Sign up for Online Courses
On top of everything, you may want to think of signing up for online courses for a more flexible schedule. For instance, Rutgers Online has some amazing courses that will allow you to take class when you are at work. You may even want to find a job where you work from home that will allow you to create your entire schedule. In the end, being flexible is critical when you are balancing a full time job with college.
