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College is one of the best times in your life — not just for what you learn, but for who you meet and the friends you make. This is also a time when most of us work part-time and attend school simultaneously. If you’re working and going to school, it can be hard to keep track of everything that needs to get done. Learning some tools and tricks is important so you can balance your school work, student activities, and job without burning out.
Balancing the daily grind of school, social life, and work can be daunting, and students can agree that it’s hard to keep up with deadlines sometimes. Students frequently find reviews for some of the best services for custom writing of assignments, essays, and dissertations to help reduce stress.
So, if you are a working student, before you sign up for an online study helper, like Studybay or Khan Academy, check some recommendations that will help you get through it without losing your sanity. You just need a plan. Here are 10 proven tips to help you balance your workloads so you can focus on what’s important:
- Schedule everything
- Don’t take on more hours that you handle
- Do the important stuff first
- Stay organized
- Set aside time for breaks
- Complete your assignments the same day
- Don’t procrastinate
- Get a tutor
- Communicate with your employer
- Ask for help from professors
Schedule Everything
The first step to finding the balance between work and school is to schedule everything. Create a calendar that includes all of your classes, homework assignments, and extracurricular activities. You’ll need to schedule your time carefully if you want to get the most out of your day. Ensure you know when all classes are, so you don’t miss them. You should also schedule time for studying, doing homework, and working at your job. If possible, schedule a little extra time each day so you can relax and unwind after school or work.
Don’t Take on More Hours Than You Can Handle
If you’re working part-time while going to college, ensure that your job is not taking away from your studies or vice versa. For instance, if you’re working more than 40 hours a week and becoming too busy to do your school work, it’s time to scale back your work hours. Set boundaries. Your boss should understand that studying is just as important as their business, and they shouldn’t expect you to work overtime or more hours than necessary.
Do The Important Stuff First
The key to success is being able to prioritize your tasks and responsibilities. Make sure you’re doing the most important things first, and don’t let yourself get distracted by less important things (like social media).
Also, if you have an exam, ensure you spend time studying for it before going to work or doing anything else. If you don’t do this, then there’s no way that you’ll be able to focus on anything else later in the day. You’ll have to stay late at work or finish things up early in the morning before class starts. This will disrupt your sleep schedule and make things harder on you in general.
Stay Organized
It’s easy to let work get out of hand, but if you stay on top of things and keep everything organized, it’ll be easier to manage schoolwork and work tasks.
This might sound like a no-brainer, but your schedule can quickly become a mess if you’re not careful. You’ll never be able to manage everything you have to do if you don’t keep track of them. Luckily, there are plenty of apps out there that can help you stay on top of your schedule — whether it’s in class or at work. Some include Trello and Evernote.
Set Aside Time for Breaks
The next thing you need to do is set aside time for breaks. Breaks are very important, especially if you’re working hard or on a deadline. If you don’t take breaks, it’s easy to get burnt out, leading to stress and exhaustion.
A good rule of thumb is that a 15-minute break should follow every hour of work. So, spending 4 hours on your project would mean taking three 15-minute breaks throughout the day. This gives your brain time to process what it’s been absorbing during those four hours and keeps it from getting overwhelmed or overstimulated by too much information at once.
Complete Your Assignments As Soon As Possible
Another thing to remember when balancing work and college is that you should complete your assignments the day you get them, if possible. The reason for this is simple: if you don’t get your assignment done the day it is given, then chances are good that it will have to be completed at a time that is not convenient for you. If this happens too often and consistently throughout the semester, it may eventually become difficult for you to manage your responsibilities adequately. Besides, staying afloat with assignments helps improve grades substantially, and you need every help you can get.
Don’t Procrastinate
Procrastination is the bane of every college student. It keeps them from completing their work on time and then feeling like they never get anything done. To avoid procrastinating, list what needs to be done and set aside time for it daily. If you need more motivation, try setting small goals along the way so that accomplishing them will give you a sense of accomplishment.
Get a Tutor
If you’re having trouble balancing work and school, consider hiring a tutor to help with the more difficult subjects. Tutors can be a great way to get help with your studies when you just don’t understand something.
Usually, tutors will offer their services for free or for a small fee, which is usually much less than the cost of paying for an entire class over again. You can find one on tutoring management software. The money you spend on a tutor will save you in the long run, and if it helps you get better grades, it can make all the difference when it comes time to apply for jobs or graduate school.
Communicate With Your Employer
Being transparent with your employer if you plan to work while attending school is important. It is a good idea to let them know about it in advance so that they can make the necessary arrangements for you. This will help in avoiding any misunderstandings later on.
If your schedule becomes too hectic, let your boss know so they can find someone else to cover your shifts or adjust them accordingly. It’s better to be upfront about potential scheduling conflicts than try to stretch yourself too thin and then call out sick or get fired because of it.
Ask For Help From Professors
One of the best things about going to college is that you have access to professors who want you to succeed. Suppose you’re falling behind with a particular subject–whether math, chemistry, or history–your professor will be more than happy to help you. Professors are there not only as teachers but also as mentors, who often see their students outside class time and are invested in their success.
In some cases, professors might even be willing to meet with you and tutor you before class begins so that you can ask any questions ahead of time. This can be especially helpful if work takes its toll on you.
Conclusion
The best way to balance college and work is to test different approaches. See what works for you, and then implement those tips into your schedule. You’ll learn to thrive with the balancing act. Usually, there is no magic formula for balancing work and college, but we hope these tips will help make things a little easier on you.