Online education has made it possible for working professionals to go back to school without sacrificing their jobs. Just because it’s possible to work and go to school at the same time, however, doesn’t mean that it’s easy. Here are a few tips to help you balance your life, school and job:
Don’t overload yourself
If you take on too much, you could easily become discouraged and quit. If you don’t quit, you could see your grades fall. To learn the right number of online classes for you, speak to your school’s enrollment advisors to determine how much time each class will take you per week. Especially at first, you may want to err on the side of too few classes rather than too many. Take your time and be patient. It’s not a race, and once you have your degree, no one will care how long it took you to get it.
Manage your time
The key to managing your time is to have a plan and stick to it. Your first step should be to decide on your priorities. Get a planner and map out your entire day. Then, identify and eliminate all timewasters like TV, Facebook and magazines. Multitask by listening to podcasts while driving and studying while on the bus. When you have the discipline to manage your time properly, you’ll soon find that more time will open up to devote to both your online school and your job.
Schedule breaks
Watching television or surfing the Internet is not bad in small chunks, but when you do these activities whenever you feel like it, you’ll spend much more time on them than you should. Instead, schedule short breaks throughout your day where you can watch a little bit of TV, catch up on your celebrity gossip or take a nap. This will give you something to look forward to and it will also help you stay fresh without feeling guilty.
Learn to say ‘no’
Whether it’s an invitation to a night on the town or a plea to help with a school bake sale, people will never stop asking for your time. Know your priorities, and if what you’re being asked to do does not fit into your priorities or your schedule, just say no. While this may be difficult initially, you’ll feel much better later on when you have time to devote to the things you love.
Get proper sleep and nutrition
Many people who are trying to work and go to school at the same time do not take care of themselves like they should. The first things to go are usually a full night’s sleep and a balanced diet. This leads to a vicious cycle of being too busy to get enough sleep, but too tired to function. If you make sleep and nutrition a priority, you’ll soon find that you have all the energy you need to get your work done better and faster.
Information in this article was provided by the International Academy of Design and Technology – Online, an online college. Contact IADT – Online today if you’re interested in developing marketable knowledge and career-relevant skills with an industry-current degree program. (IADT – Online does not guarantee employment or salary.)
