Balancing Classes and Work

Balancing work and classes in graduate school is a little daunting at first, but it really teaches more about yourself than you think in the long run. Over the past semester, I have acquired some tips and tricks that can help you along the way to make the balance more achievable. I think the first step you have to take is plan ahead! Identify what weeks you will have more work than usual so that you can start working earlier than you usually would. Doing this can help you avoid some overwhelming weeks and all-nighters. This doesn’t apply to just school work. Make sure you are asking your boss if there are any weeks you should be prepared for that could be busy for your office. The second major tip I have learned is to put yourself in situations where you will be the most productive. If you know that you will be distracted at work by listening to a podcast or music, eliminate the option to do that by not taking your headphones to work. There are extensions you can add to internet browsers that will block social media sites while you are working too. Also, you should attempt to create designated areas at your home where you can’t bring your phone in so that you won’t be distracted by it while working. Putting these tactics in place can allow you to be productive so that you can do more with less time. My last tip almost seems counterintuitive, but it helps in the long run! Make sure to always plan time in the week to do activities that you truly enjoy. This will allow you to recharge your mind, so you can feel more productive doing work. It will also give you time to destress, so you won’t be overwhelmed with school and work all the time. It might be hard at first to implement each of these, but you will be thanking me in the long run!