How to Maintain a Work/Study Balance
If you’re looking for a career change or boosting your professional development in your current field, getting a new qualification could open many doors for you. To maintain your finances, however, you may need to continue working full-time while you study. Online courses are very convenient as with effective time management; you’ll have the flexibility to study around your working hours. However, this can be a little stressful, so it’s important to learn how to prioritize. Here are a few tips to help you successfully balance online study with full-time work.
Choose the right course for you
First of all, it’s vital to choose the right course for you. It needs to be something that interests you and will be directly relevant to the kind of professional development you want to achieve. If you’ve already got a high level of education, you could consider online doctorate degrees, for example. A doctorate will give you the advantage you need in the workplace and bring many opportunities for you to specialize and progress in your chosen field.
Maintain communication with your employer
Speak to your employer before you begin studying a course. This way, they’ll have a clear understanding of your needs and time constraints and will be able to provide support. If you gain a new qualification, this will be better for their business and make you a more valuable employee, so they’ll hopefully get on board. Here are a few tips for effectively communicating with your boss.
Find your most productive study time
Figure out when you are at your most productive. This will help you to get more use out of your time. Whereas you may not be able to change your working hours, it’s useful to understand what time of day you study the best, whether it’s early in the morning or in the evening. Try not to take on too much at once. Now that your time is more limited, you need to break bad habits and build good ones. Avoid stressing yourself out and leaving work until the last minute, and stick to a healthy routine.
Set clear measurable goals
It’s helpful and motivating to set smart goals. Break down both your working day and studies into manageable tasks and set a time limit or deadline for these. If you aim to put in two hours of study per day, for example, write down a list of tasks you plan to complete at this time. This will also help you to monitor your progress.
Learn to prioritize effectively
When trying to balance work and study, it’s important to learn how to prioritize effectively. Prepare a list of tasks in order of urgency and factor in how long each will take and the other people involved. You can then work through these in a logical order. Managing full-time work with online study can be a challenge, so it’s essential to find the method that works best for you.
