You need to be skilled at time management when working and attending school at the same time. Thankfully, this is a skill that can be learned. Here are some expert tips you can use as you pursue your degree while working a job.
Get A Grasp of How Long Things Take
Most people underestimate how long it takes to do pleasant things, and overestimate how long it takes to do things they consider unpleasant. To get better at managing your time, use a timer and see if you can estimate how long certain things take. For instance, time yourself watching TV and then weigh that against how long you spend doing homework. When you get a better grasp of how long things take, you’ll be less likely to waste time doing things that don’t move you forward in life.
Multitask in a Healthy Way
Try to use downtime productively. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take time for self-care and relaxation. It just means making the most of otherwise wasted time. For example, consider putting your textbook on an audio file so you can listen to it during your commute. Or get in a little bit of reading while you’re waiting for your professor to arrive in the classroom.
Get up a Little Earlier
If you get up just 15 minutes earlier each weekday morning, you’ll have given yourself over an hour of extra time each week to get schoolwork done. Your body likely won’t miss those 15 minutes, but your schoolwork could benefit greatly from it!
Revise Just Before Sleeping
Take five minutes before dozing off to sleep to revise your schoolwork. It’s been shown that the brain remembers things well if you hear it or read it right before going to sleep.
Going to school while working isn’t easy and you should be commended for it. With these tips, all your hard work will certainly pay off!