Working students face many challenges. Making time to study can be difficult, and sometimes it can feel impossible. The best thing that a working student can do is to face their own challenges with a positive attitude and a vision of how getting their degree with enhance their future. Many decisions can be made to make study time easier to find.
Know your goal
Having a vision of how your degree will improve your future can make it easier to fight procrastination. When you encounter a spontaneous social opportunity, you can evaluate your schedule to see if it is a good fit. If you can’t justify the time, be committed to saying no for the good of your future. When you know your goal you can get serious about your options for obtaining credits. Think seriously about taking classes online. Many colleges are now offering students the chance to complete work on a more flexible schedule by providing online classes. From education leadership degrees to engineering degrees, studying online offers many benefits for students. No matter what your major, you can often find a program online that can help you reach your goals.
Schedule Your Time
Put study time on your calendar. Find a consistent time within your typical week and then commit to studying then. Scheduling your study time and looking at it as non-negotiable can help to prevent procrastination. For some students, this might mean getting up earlier than usual, or using a lunch break.
Use your time wisely
Thirdly, figure out your best study strategies. Evaluate your environment for factors such as noise and access to resources. Make your environment and your study process personal so that you are maximizing the study time you do have. Break down papers and projects into smaller tasks. Look at each project and gauge how much time it will take by breaking it into smaller tasks. Help yourself by limiting distractions. Turn off your smartphone and log off of social media. Force yourself to give intense focus to your studying.
Treat Yourself Well
Give yourself some margin time. Scheduling yourself to the max will not allow any margin in case something comes up. Leave some unscheduled time in your week so that when life happens, you can still be successful at your studies.
Knowing your goal, scheduling your studies, using your time wisely and treating yourself well can help you to a successful working student. It’s important to look outside of traditional options for college students when trying to balance studying and work.
Anita is a freelance writer from Denver, CO and often writes about education, business, finance and family. A mother of two, she enjoys traveling with her family when she isn't writing.
Working students face many challenges. Making time to study can be difficult, and sometimes it can feel impossible. The best thing that a working student can do is to face their own challenges with a positive attitude and a vision of how getting their degree with enhance their future. Many decisions can be made to make study time easier to find.
