How to Balance College and Work and Find Some Spare Time

No one said it would be easy, but if you’re looking for ways on how to balance college and work, use these tips to improve time management.

A recent survey revealed that the majority of students work while attending college. Learning how to balance college and work on a full-time basis is your key to achieving success with less student loan debt.

According to this survey, 24.4% of students claimed they were fully responsible for funding their education. If your dream depends on you getting a degree, please know that your goal is still within reach.

Attending school and working full-time isn’t easy, but any effort you invest in this endeavor will pay off big time. You, too, deserve to feel the pride of graduating with a degree.

Here are some tips on how to balance work and college full-time.

How to Balance College and Work: Time Management

Knowing how to balance work and college means mastering time management. Developing time management skills involves planning and budgeting your time well. When you have 2 schedules to juggle, you must keep track of both to succeed.

Make sure you either write down your work hours or mark them on your phone’s calendar. Use a college schedule maker to create a visual reminder of your class schedule.

Print several copies of this schedule, including a copy to carry with you and another copy to hang up in your workspace.

Designated Workspace Hours

Anyone who’s aware of how to balance school and work in college has a designated space where they complete their work. This space is organized, clean, and stocked with supplies. It’s also free of distractions, so getting work done is more doable there.

A designated workspace like this helps you be more productive. Once you get into the habit of doing schoolwork there, your brain starts associating that space with getting homework done. Then simply entering this workspace will kick your brain right into “homework mode.”

Carve out time that you’ll commit to spending in your workplace. During this time, you’ll study and complete homework. School is just as important as work, so you need to devote time to it.

This way, you won’t have to rush and can work on this next tip.

Sleep Schedule and “Me” Time

Make sure you maintain a regular sleep schedule. Also, try to enjoy some “me” time whenever you get the chance. Your schedule is already packed, so there’s no need to cram more stuff into your day.

Sure, caffeine will help you stay awake. But no amount of caffeine will energize you as much as a good night’s sleep can.

Work on your assignments as soon as possible instead of procrastinating. Getting work done on time reduces your need to rush or pull an all-nighter.

You Are a Success in Progress

The CDC recommends that you get at least 7 hours of sleep per 24-hour period. You can’t truly know how to balance college and work if you’re not getting enough sleep.

If you do pull an all-nighter, make sure you get sleep as soon as possible. An erratic sleep schedule will eventually hurt your work/academic performance.

Give yourself some credit⁠ and check out our resume and networking tips. It’ll improve your chances of landing a better job.