ChallengeU Blog

How to Balance Work and Study When Returning to School

Written by Marie-Pier Fournier-Rousseau | Feb 28, 2024 2:27:25 PM

With a part-time or a full-time job, it can be difficult to balance school and work, especially if you have children or an apartment to pay for. But don’t worry. We've all been there and, today, with the help of these foolproof tips, we'll show you exactly how you can get it done!

Make a schedule for yourself and stick to it

You need to plan your day by setting aside time for work and making sure that important dates for exams and assignments have been marked on your calendar. The pace of your classes and your personal leisure time must also be planned. Creating a daily schedule will help you to stay on top of things and avoid feeling overwhelmed. It's possible to automate this process using mobile apps that tell you when to study. To better organize and manage your time, you can use the Gmail suite, such as Google Calendar, or one of the many free apps available.

Following is a great list of helpful tools for better time management.

  • Planner: Keep track of your schedule and assignments.
  • Folder: Organize all of your class notes in one place. To make it easier to locate materials, create separate folders for each class.
  • Notebooks: Keeping a separate notebook for each class is a great way to keep track of all the relevant information.

Make a list of your top priorities

In terms of weekly or daily planning, setting priorities is a critical component as well. You have to get certain things done first, before you can move on to the next ones. Prioritizing tasks related to school or work, for example, and allocating time to household chores or other weekly responsibilities will help you to decide when you can relax and recharge. Prioritizing your activities will help you to stay on top of your studies.

Create a separate area for your work

When you're doing homework, it's important to have a designated area where you can concentrate. Make sure that you have everything you need when you sit down to work, so that you don't have to leave your workspace to look for things like your notes or pencils. You should have a clean, organized, and comfortable learning environment. Paintings, motivational sayings, and photos can all be used to decorate it, as can a calendar listing all of your important upcoming dates. You'll be more motivated and focused if you're in a good mood when doing homework!

Don't put your health at risk

Taking care of your physical and mental well-being is of the utmost importance. There are many ways to ensure that you get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and eat a healthy diet. In addition, you should be able to recognize when you are becoming overly stressed so that you can develop coping mechanisms such as taking a walk outside, listening to soft music, eating something that makes you happy, or simply breathing deeply. Check out this article for more information!

At some point in our lives, we all feel the strain of the demands of school and work. Stress can be alleviated by adopting a good work-life balance, but we must be proactive in our efforts. Hopefully, the information in this article will assist you in reaching your full potential.

We have full confidence in your abilities!