Being an adult can be challenging, especially if you’re a college student with a job. When we were kids, they told us that college and going to work is a great experience. But when you’re struggling to balance both, it can be a challenge.
I loved going to school and working on the weekends in high school. I would go to class all day and then after school, I would head straight to work for a few hours. Even as a college student, I do the same thing. It was difficult sometimes, but it didn’t have to be a struggle.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve come up with different strategies to balance my school and work life.
When signing up for classes, make sure that you aren’t taking on too much at once. It can be tempting to do it all in one go, but it doesn’t always work out. I learned that the hard way. I suggest limiting yourself to no more than three to four classes a semester as it makes the workload easier to manage. It also makes it easier to manage work life.
I figured this out when I was taking on too many classes at once, and it was causing me stress not only at school but at work as well. I talked to my adviser about this and they suggested that I take fewer classes.
Talk to your manager about your availability. When setting up your school schedule, make sure that your manager knows what days you can and can’t work. Also, make sure to have at least one day when you don’t have school or work. This will make it less stressful and gives you time to recharge or work on assignments that need to be done.
When I was a student at Central Community College, I learned that balancing work and school life didn’t need to be a struggle. I would talk to my manager about my school schedule about a month before school would start so that when school did start up, I wasn’t overwhelmed with work and class assignments.
This also made it easier to pick classes out. I would work the days that I didn’t have school or days where I would only have one class. This gave me a break from school and gave me something else to put my mind to.
If you need to change something, don’t be afraid to do it. Life can be unpredictable and things happen. If you aren’t able to go to work or school, then let your manager or someone you know what is going on. They will understand.
Make sure to take care of yourself. Being a full-time student and being a full or part-time worker can be a lot to handle sometimes. It’s always a good idea to take time for yourself even if you don’t think you need to. If you ever feel like you need a break from either work or school, make sure to talk to your manager and your adviser about it so they can help you be the best version of yourself.
Enjoy being a student and working. It can be a great balance if done right.
