Around this time, 2 years ago, I wasn’t sure how I felt about graduating college. I had just recently finished college but for some weird reason I didn’t feel that excited. I actually felt the exact opposite. I was excited for about 2 weeks after walking across the graduation stage, but the high of finishing college quickly wore off. I think that feeling came from the fact that I was now entering the “real world”. For many, graduating from college is the end of their educational journey. Unfortunately for me, I graduated with a degree that is pretty much useless on its own and simply just a prerequisite for graduate school. That’s right, I had to enroll into graduate school. I spent like 17 years busting my ass off in school, but I felt like my educational journey was just beginning. On top of that, I was hit with some unfortunate news out of nowhere. I was informed by a woman that I refer to as Mother, that I would no longer be receiving any form of financial help that I was receiving for the past 20+ years. Because of this, I had to get myself a full time job to help pay for my living expenses and pay tuition. I am now two years into living this lifestyle and here’s how I did it.
Here are 6 Ways to Juggle a Full Time Job While Being a Full Time Student
1.) Try To Take Online Classes
I was very fortunate that my graduate program was 100% online. This made it easy for me to get it done. I would go to work from 9 to 5 and then quickly jump into my academics. Not having to worry about driving to school through traffic after I got off of work at 5PM, was such a great feeling and was a lifesaver for me in graduate school.
If you have the option, I highly suggest taking online courses. This might not be as fun as being in a classroom, and you might be limited on some resources, but this will save you time and help you work at your own pace.
2.) Stick to a Routine
This might sound very obvious but I think it’s good to be reminded. You must learn to stick to a routine. Whether you’re in undergrad or in a masters program, school is going to come with a lot of work, even if you’re an art major. On top of that, your body might be drained from working all day. Therefore, making sure to stick to a well structured routine is very important. TIP: Make sure you prioritize your sleep. Don’t let your buddies that want to drink on Taco Tuesday, throw you out of your routine and your sleep schedule. You don’t want to fail a class because you wanted to grab tacos and beers with your goofball friend.
3.) Try To Do All Of Your Errands Early
This might not be the best tip for everyone, but it worked well for me. I’m not sure if it was a mindset thing, but I liked to do all of my errands early in the day, before work. For some reason, I felt like I was limited on time after work was done at 5PM. I would try to be in bed by 10PM, so that meant I would have to really haul ass and get my school stuff done immediately after work. I would have to drive through busy traffic, eat dinner, and then focus on my studies. On top of that, if I had any unexpected errands, then I was really screwed on time. A solution to this was to wake up early, maybe around 6AM, and try to knock out all of my errands. This really helped make the days feel longer.
4.) Learn to Say No
This point can fall under point number 2 of sticking to a routine, but I really want to emphasize how important this is. Whether it’s a 2 year graduate program, or a 4 year bachelors program, you will be presented with opportunities to have fun and go out and get wild with your friends. Maybe the cutie that you have a crush on wants you to accompany her/him to a party. Maybe the bars are offering $1 shot nights on Tuesdays. Who knows what the occasion is, but it is very important to learn to say no. I’m not saying you need to say no to having fun and completely turn into an antisocial weirdo, but I’m just saying don’t be afraid to say no when you know certain activities on certain days can affect your goals.
5.) Write Things Down Every Night
When I was in graduate school and working full time, I would try my best to write down every single task that I needed to complete the following day. I would mark it off as I got it done. This can help you to make sure that you don’t have any tasks falling under the cracks. Every assignment is important and missing one can possibly screw you out of passing a class. This helped me a lot and I think it’ll do the same for you.
6.) Decompress and Don’t Stress
It comes without saying, but when you’re working a full time job and going to school as a full time student, you probably won’t have that much time to really just relax and rest. When those rare times come and you have some time to take a break, really take that break and fully enjoy it. If you feel like you can’t handle the pressure of both school and work, take a breather and reflect. Don’t be afraid to use your Paid Time Off. Don’t be afraid to take a gap year from school, or maybe a gap semester. Work and school are important, but your health is WAY more important.
I hope these tips helped!