After finishing your bachelor’s degree in college, you are ready to begin a job and start a family while also working on your master’s degree. In order to maintain your physical endurance and mental sanity, you need to know how to balance school and work at the same time.
Here are a few valuable tips:
One: Organize Your Home
Having a disorganized home is a waste of time because you must sort through things to find the items necessary each day. To reduce stress, get rid of unnecessary books, clothing and household goods, and have a place for everything in order to find it quickly.
Two: Create a Written Schedule
If you are trying to care for children, work full-time and attend classes at a brick-and-mortar or online college, then you must have a written schedule to remain organized. Not only do you need to list class and work times, but also, you must schedule grocery shopping and housecleaning chores.
Three: Share the Responsibilities
You do not need to do everything to keep a home clean and organized. A spouse and children can cope with many of the chores such as sorting laundry and washing dishes. Part of being a family is sharing the responsibilities.
Four: Stop trying to be perfect
Giving up perfection by having a home that looks fantastic and having the best grades in schools is not easy, but you do not have to be perfect. It is okay to have dust on your home’s furniture or receive a 95 percent on an examination rather than a 100 percent.
Five: Adjust Your Schedules
Working full-time, caring for children and studying for your college courses is a big load of responsibility, and you might want to adjust your work schedule. Instead of working 40 hours a week, you might want to change to a part-time job. Alternatively, maybe your college permits part-time enrollment in its master’s degree programs.
Take Care of Your Mental and Physical Health
While trying to attend college, work at a job and raising your children, make sure to protect your mental and physical health. Plan and eat highly nutritious foods instead of grazing on junk, and make sure to get enough sleep each night. Also, balance school and work with relaxation by taking time to have fun occasionally to avoid feeling mentally burned-out.
Article Contributed by Patrick Watt
Patrick is part of the marketing crew at NREL with interests in education and learning. He enjoys researching new ideas for his book from many blogs and education related websites.
