As a student, I know how hard it is to be a full-time student, who needs to write, for example, coursework and have a full-time job. You even consider buying coursework, because you don’t have time to prepare it by yourself due to job responsibilities. That is why I decided to register here to know other’s experiences and how to keep up with everything. I also thought I'd share my recent text on this topic.
How to Balance Being a Full-Time Student and Working Full-Time
The truth is that a lot of students have to work full-time and go to school full-time in order to pay their bills. It can be very hard to balance the needs of a job and school, but it is possible if you are disciplined about planning, setting priorities, and managing your time. I want to talk about some of the best ways to handle this difficult double load.
Make an Airtight Schedule (And Stick To It!)
Making a very strict weekly plan with set times for work, class, study, and even meals and breaks is the most important thing you can do to balance work and school. Follow this plan at all costs.
Schedule blocks look like these:
- Work: 8am - 5pm Monday through Friday
- Class: 6pm - 9pm Monday/Wednesday
- Study sessions: 7pm - 10pm Tuesday/Thursday, 10am - 2pm Saturday
Use Spare Moments for Micro-Productivity
You'll probably have small chunks of time in between plans, even if you have a great routine. Do not throw these away! Use these little windows often.
For example:
- Review flashcards on the bus
- Read over notes while eating lunch at your desk
- Do practice problems while waiting for an appointment
Prioritize Ruthlessly
You can't do everything because you have so many things that need your attention. Set priorities over and over by:
- Determining which assignments are highest percentage of grade
- Only reading portions of texts that will be on exams
- Taking shortcuts when acceptable (e.g. summarizing instead of full write-up)
Examples:
For a History 201 class with:
- 10% for participation
- 20% for a midterm paper
- 30% for a final exam
- 40% for a research project
You would prioritize:
- Research project
- Studying for final exam
- Midterm paper
- Class participation
Leverage All Resources
As a student who also works, you should use all the help that is available to get the most done. Some important sources:
University:
- Office hours with professors/TAs
- Tutoring centers
- Libraries/computer labs
- Disability accommodations
Workplace:
- Tuition reimbursement programs
- Flexible schedules/work from home
- Mentor programs
- Professional development courses
Example:
If struggling with statistics coursework, utilize free tutoring at the university math lab twice weekly to get help.
Be Ruthlessly Efficient
To balance it all, you have to become a master at time management and avoiding inefficiencies like:
- Excessive web browsing/social media
- Poor planning that requires re-doing work
- Failing to leverage shortcuts (e.g. not using citation software)
- Spending too much time on low-impact tasks
Example:
For a 10-page paper, spend:
- 30 mins planning/outlining
- 2 hours researching and taking notes from high-impact sources
- 4 hours writing/revising
- 1 hour polishing/formatting
Not:
- 6 hours of disorganized researching
- 5 hours writing rough draft
- 2 hours re-writing entire draft
Take Care of Yourself
Finally, don't forget to take care of yourself. Deal with stress by:
- Getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night
- Eating nutritious meals and snacks
- Exercising 3-4 times per week
- Building in short breaks away from work/study
Example:
Go for a 30-minute walk daily over a lunch break both for exercise and to mentally recharge.
Being a full-time student and working full-time at the same time takes a lot of focus, time management, and setting priorities. But it is possible if you carefully plan, use all of your resources, and take care of yourself. People who can do it will learn how to do many things at once, which is very useful.
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