How to juggle full-time work with study

So how exactly are you going to manage full time work with study?

Deciding to commence or re-commence study is a daunting decision in itself. Add the additional factors of full time employment and already it may seem like too many balls to juggle.

Here’s our Top 3 Tips to juggling work with study:

1. Choose the right mode of study

In order to choose the right mode of study, whether it is full time, part time or online, it is very important to be honest with yourself about your study ethic and time management abilities as well as assessing the demands and hours of your current employment. If you are border-lining into the realms of genius with no social schedule intended for the next few years then you may well be able to engage in full time study and full time employment, however for most of us this simply isn’t achievable.

For those who still need some exposure to the ‘uni experience’ then part-time study may be the option for you.   While some uni’s hold night time and early/late weekday lectures most universities, (as far as I could find) do not. This makes lecture attendance tricky if held during work hours. For many, part time, online study is mode allowing for a happy medium. No locked in attendance requirements no time out of work hours.  Win Win!

2. Talk to your boss about it

If your boss is flexible by nature or you work for for a flexible organisation, taking on additional studies will not create any issues. But, for those of you out there with a manager that is narrow minded, here’s how to paint your decision to studying in a positive light.

Introduce the notion by discussing your passion for the industry, then move on to addressing your interest in furthering your knowledge about your chosen career through study. Ensure you bring the discussion back to your workplace by talking about how your more developed knowledge of the industry will benefit your work and in essence the company you work for.

As a foot note, it is always wise to mention that there might be the odd instance you’ll need to finish an hour or so early to submit an assignment on time or attend exams, but to maintain equilibrium, assure your manager that this lost time will be compensated with an early morning start or a later finish on another occasion.

3. Create a schedule

Awareness of due dates for work and assignments is vital.

From this, prepare a detailed and complete schedule of how many hours will be required for readings, research and assignment writing. Don’t be unrealistic by not allowing for study breaks, sleep or a social life. The worst thing you can do while working full time and studying is procrastinating to such a degree that you’re up all night trying to write an assignment with an important work meeting the following morning.

The most important part about scheduling… STICKING TO IT!

We now live in a world where a candidate for a role is usually preferred by an employer of choice if they have a relevant qualification behind them as well as industry experience. The benefits of furthering your understanding of your field via studying are paramount and the best aspect of working while you study is that nothing beats the hands-on, practical experience your job will bring to your understanding of your subjects.

To determine whether returning to study is the right decision for you, Harvest Careers can help you make informed decisions about your next career move.