The Challenge of Juggling School and Work
Going to school can be challenging and time consuming, add working on top of that and things can get hectic. It can take a lot of determination and energy to get a degree while working a job. It does not matter if someone is going to school in person or online, it can be stressful to navigate the daily tasks. Although trying to balance work and school is challenging it is not impossible. In my experience I found that between the services that Lake Superior College offers and a couple helpful tips, students will be able to get a degree while still working!
The most important thing that contributes to success is making and following a plan. It helps to list everything that is due that week and the dates it is due. Compare it to the work schedule and try to equate easier assignments with busier workdays. It is easier to visualize everything that needs to be done rather than trying to remember when things are due. Making a list or filling out a planner helps organize everything that needs to be done. This will help improve time management after a shift at work.
Time management is crucial for both work and school because it helps effectively allocate the time needed and prioritizes tasks. With time management, it is easier to prioritize which assignments or topics to study to ensure that the attended goal is accomplished. This will reduce stress, increase productivity, and will decrease the overwhelming feeling of procrastinating all assignments to the night before. As mentioned before a planner helps a lot with this but determination and goal setting are needed to avoid burnout or stress.
Further helpful tips I have found that help maintain focus and a good work school balance is boundaries. It is important to set boundaries for work and school to ensure success and avoid burnout. Set some time to do some activities that can relax and recharge before taking on that assignment or that shift at work. Self-care is important to stay focused and determined through work and school. Other things that are important is to eat healthy, exercise, and have a routine sleep schedule. This is a boundary that people tend to forget about by pulling all night homework sessions, drinking multiple cups of coffee or energy drinks, and staying seated all day. This can make someone more irritable, sluggish, and it will make it harder to stay focused and determined.
It can be very hard and frustrating to go through work and school even with the above-mentioned tips. LSC offers many services to help students with that journey. They have tutoring services with flexible meeting options to help students with their studies. They also offer many places to do schoolwork outside of work or home. LSC also offers a vast majority of activities, clinics, and a gym to make sure that students are staying healthy during their studies. If students are feeling overwhelmed about school and work, they can always meet with an advisor to help maintain that perfect balance. It does not matter if students are going to LSC in person or online, all the above services are there to help any students.
It can be very hard to balance work and school no matter if one is going to school online or in person or working full time or part time. It makes it a little easier knowing that there are many students going through the same thing. It makes it a lot easier knowing that with resources LSC provides and a couple tips can help improve student the experience while obtaining a degree. With some time management, set boundaries, planning, and using the student resources anyone should be able to find that perfect balance between work and school.
