Balancing Work, Life, and Education: 4 Tips to Reach Your Goals

The Juggling Act

Balancing school, work, a social life, personal commitments, family and so much more is an incredible feat. Whether you’re enrolled in-person or online, if you’ve got a lot on your plate, learning how to juggle it is the key to success. Here are some tips to help manage your load:

1. Create a realistic study schedule

Having a consistent schedule will enable you to better adapt to all the new changes in your life. Breaking down your coursework into smaller, more achievable goals can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Here’s how:

• Identify what assignments are due over the next two weeks and set your own interim deadlines to ensure your work is completed before the assignment’s due date.
• Use a spreadsheet or task management app to break down each assignment into more manageable tasks.
• From there, determine the next logical step and continue this process until you’ve created a list of tasks you’ll need to complete to achieve your goal.
• Keeping in mind how much time each task will take to complete, categorize the tasks within the list using a system that works for you (ie. colours, an urgency scale 1-5, etc.).
• Block off dedicated study time in your calendar.
• Scratch items off your to-do list upon completion
• This will trigger a positive response in your brain and act as a visual representation of the progress you’re making.
• Repeat for all major assignments and group projects
• Making an itemized list of tasks for group projects is a great way to ensure everyone has something to do and that the work is equally distributed.

Time management is a powerful skill to master! Not only will this come in handy for your own workload, but it makes a huge difference in a group setting too.

2. Leverage support systems

Your journey may seem long, but you’re not undertaking it alone. It’s normal to need emotional or practical support along the way.

This can look like:

• Venting to your family and friends when times get tough
• Studying with a friend or classmate
• Asking a friend or family member to babysit while you tackle a particularly onerous assignment
• Talking to your partner about temporarily taking on more housework to lighten your load
• Trading shifts with a coworker to squeeze in more study time

We’ve got your back too! All AC students are encouraged to take advantage of student success specialists, peer tutoring, and the Student Learning Centre (SLC). We also offer an array of online mental health resources and other kinds of support from the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL). The CAL provides confidential, free and voluntary academic accommodations and educational support services for students who have permanent and/or temporary disabilities.

Life is easier when you speak up and ask for help. It’s not a sign of weakness to rely on others, rather it’s a show of strength to know when to leverage your support system.

3. Use online tools for efficiency

Family isn’t the only support you can lean on during your academic journey: online tools can help too! Using time management apps to keep track of deadlines and manage tasks is a great way to stay organized.

It can be tedious to keep a physical agenda or to-do list but putting it all online or in the Cloud ensures everything is in the same place. AC students have access to Microsoft Suite and can stay organized with OneNote. Other times, students use tools like Notion, My Study Life, and even Google Calendar, Google Sheets, or Excel.

This is a cost-effective solution too since there’s no shortage of free tools online! A quick search points to dozens of organization systems to help you throughout the term. Not only is using time management tools a great habit to develop for school, but it can make your professional life much easier when you graduate.

4. Create a study space that works for you:

Find a place that’s comfortable and free of distractions so that you can concentrate on your work. Make sure your study space has good lighting to reduce eye strain and keep you alert. Personalize it with items that motivate you, like inspirational quotes or a plant. Keep all your study materials within reach to avoid unnecessary interruptions. Studying online is convenient but it can also lead to multitasking other activities, but try to avoid this to retain the information you’re studying fully. Lastly, maintain a consistent study schedule to help your brain associate that space with productivity.

Flexibility makes it possible

Algonquin College’s flexible online programs make it easier to achieve educational goals without sacrificing your work/life balance. With the flexibility to study on your schedule, the freedom to do it from anywhere in the world, and the support from virtual facilitators, education and personal growth are more accessible than ever.

Learn more about AC Online today.