By Rachel Broadway
Balancing working a job and going to school can be incredibly difficult. Finding the right time to balance work responsibilities with school responsibilities can be hard: figuring out which assignments need to be prioritized and which assignments can wait a little while longer, all while working in between and having little time for free time outside of that.
One struggle many students have is over working themselves.
“Burnout is real and will make you want to quit all together,” shared Alyssa Huffman, a student at Guilford Technical Community College. For Huffman, her motivation is building a life for her family and being successful. “Both school and work are to benefit your future, so keeping that in mind will help you to be grateful during this busy season of life,” she added.
Many students have found that one of the hardest struggles they have between balancing work and school is finding time to relax and have time for themselves. The first helpful tip to finding the balance is a calendar. Within your calendar, schedule yourself time to relax. Whether it is taking a few minutes to watch your favorite television show or enjoying a chapter or two of your favorite novels.
Lena Daniels, a junior Greensboro College student, shared that having a calendar and not procrastinating your school assignments helps tremendously.
“Having a calendar and getting everything done as soon as possible,” she said. “Do not wait until the last minute with your schoolwork, it is just going to come right back and get you.”
The next helpful tip to finding the balance is prioritizing your school assignments and not waiting until the last minute to submit them; this will not only help you feel accomplished but
also help you stay on time or even ahead of your assignments. This can help not only improve your stress, but also your grades.
The final helpful tip to finding the balance is letting both your professors and your bosses know you are both working and in school; informing of them of this information will help your professors to know you not only have the workload of your classes but also outside responsibilities of a job.
“Communication with your bosses will not only help keep your stress levels down but also shows your bosses that you have proper communication skills,” shared Kaylyn Pageot, a sophomore at Greensboro College.
Letting your bosses know helps them to stay informed that you cannot work certain hours or you may need extra time off to work on bigger projects or essays.
While working a job and going to school can be incredibly difficult and stressful, it is doable. Keeping a calendar, prioritizing assignments, scheduling time for yourself and letting both your professor and bosses know are all keys to helping you succeed as a working student.
Finally, take a deep breath. You got this!
