3 Ways to Balance Work and School

Furthering your education is a beautiful thing. However, with life and school comes bills. You have to get your books, supplies, and food. There is also transportation. Rather it’s riding a bike, driving your car, or hopping on the bus, you have to get from A to B. No matter how you do it, it all cost something. A lot goes into to getting what you need to succeed. So, you’re going to need some money. Therefore, you’re going to need a job. Going to school and working can be difficult. Here are 3 ways to balance work and school.

1. AVAILABILITY. When going for a job you need to let your new employer know that you are a student. Make sure that you give them a copy of your school schedule, so when your work schedule is made it doesn’t clash with your classes. Doing this also keeps you from calling out because your manager wanted you to work during the time you would have to be in class. I like to throw in just one day that you aren’t available. This way you know which day you will not be at school or work. On that day, you can relax and take care of whatever you can’t normally do while you are at work or school.
2. BREAKS & GAPS. Take full advantage of your lunch break. Depending on the type of job you have most people usually get 30minutes to an hour for lunch. During that time, you could crack open a book while you slurp your afternoon ramen. At one of my old jobs my co-worker would sometimes get some homework done while we were slow in the store. By doing this she freed up some time after work to relax for a bit before heading to bed and restarting the cycle in the morning.
3. PHONES & PLANNERS. We live in a time were the phone is everything. It’s where all your contacts, appointments, and life assisting apps are. Some people, like myself, still prefer to write things down. So, grab a planner small enough for your bag or your phone and start organizing yourself. Save your work schedule, study groups, projects and exams with alarms. Plan out your expenses so you know how much you need for your wants and needs. This also helps you manage your money, so you don’t overspend. Using some kind of planner keeps you from running around trying to remember important dates, times, and bills. This keeps you from being so stressed out, as a result.

Education is extremely important. Refining your skills to create a better future sounds amazing. However, most of us can’t go through this process with out having a job to help us along the way to greatness. Balancing out your work and school responsibilities makes your day to day so much easier. Which will ultimately help you be more productive. These 3 ways to balance work and school helped a few people I knew make it through. Do you work and go to school? How do you balance? What’s your thought process?