Two Ways to Balance School, Work, and Your Life

Posted on Tuesday, March 14th, 2017

You’re probably quite familiar with the typical student schedule: go to class during the day, work your part-time job in the afternoon, maybe steal a couple hours with friends on a rare Friday night off. These days, 4 out of 5 students work an average of 19 hours a week to support themselves through post-secondary education.

With academic demands, 19 hours of work, and some semblance of a social life, it’s easy to start feeling bogged down and exhausted by your responsibilities.

But there are ways to manage the workload. Here are two key things to keep in mind when balancing school, work, and life.

1. Plan and Prioritize

The reality is that while in school, your academic responsibilities are probably going to outweigh most others. You’re going to have to cut down on time spent out with friends, and it’s nearly impossible to juggle a full-time work schedule with a full course load. Focusing on school is important, and the effort will pay off.

But this doesn’t mean you need to figure out how to survive without a job, or never see your friends again. By taking a mature, responsible approach to your schedule, you can make room for all your commitments.

Agenda

We’ve talked about the importance of agendas on this blog before, but they’re so key that it’s worth talking about it again. Agendas are how you stay on top of your work and due dates.

Start by sticking your due dates into your agenda or calendar. Then, work back from those dates to see how early you need to start working on projects to ensure they’re done on time. This cuts down drastically on that last minute, ‘oh no’ moment when you realize you’ve forgotten about an assignment.

Plan Study Sessions

Now that you have an idea of how far ahead you need to start working on things, you can start scheduling your study sessions. Don’t just block off a big chunk of time to work on miscellaneous stuff: instead, clearly plan what you’ll work on and accomplish. By being specific about what you’re going to work on when, you’ll help yourself avoid the ever-tempting procrastination.

Remember to schedule in plenty of breaks, too! No one’s brain can study nonstop without some sort of breather. On that note:

2. Take Care of Yourself

You know you need to drink lots of water and get regular exercise to keep your energy up, but there’s more when it comes to balancing a huge workload. You also need to rest.

The brain needs downtime to relax and be strong. So when you’re in the midst of working, going to school, and having a social life, it’s important to remember that you need time alone to recuperate.

Sleep

First and foremost, get some sleep! Study after study shows that not getting enough sleep is linked to lower GPA, higher levels of depression, and worse overall health. When life gets busy, one of the first things that needs to be prioritized is your sleep schedule. Aim for at least seven hours a night and watch your productivity improve.

Be Nice to Yourself

Through this busy time, be sure to give yourself little breaks. Remember, no one is perfect. You may miss a deadline or need to call in sick to work—you’re a human, and these things happen. The most important thing you can do is to be transparent. Talk to the people around you so they know your situation. Reach out to your teachers, or boss, or friends.

By planning your time in advance and staying honest, you’ll get through the busy season and stay healthy throughout.

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Are you an Algonquin College co-op student in need of some guidance? Contact your co-op consultant for help with resume and cover letter writing, job hunting, and more.

If you would like to learn more about the co-op program, please visit our website at https://www.algonquincollege.com/coop/, connect with us at coop@algonquincollege.com or call us at 613-727-4723 Ext.7623.


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