8 tips to help you successfully juggle work and study

Juggling work and study is no easy feat. Many of us even shy away from such a challenge, it’s stressful, tough and downright exhausting. But if you can manage your time and priorities effectively, you will surely achieve your goal.

Why did you choose to study? This is an important question to ask yourself, and it’s one that you should remember often throughout your studies.

Our research suggests, that there are three main reasons why we decide to study again,

1. Career change
2. Work promotion
3. Pay rise

When times get tough during your study, remember why you chose to study in the first place - it may just save you from not finishing.

Develop your time and workload management skills with a professional development workshop by CIT Solutions.

Here are some helpful tips to assist you with successfully juggling work and study, like a boss.

• Adjust your workload. Assess whether you would like to reduce your study load or workload and go part-time. You may not be able to determine this until you’ve trialled it full-time.
• Choose the right course for you. If you find a course that you are passionate about and it also meets your learning needs this could be a significant advantage. Most courses are either offered entirely online or through blended delivery which consists of classroom and online sessions. Here’s a breakdown:
  - Studying purely online comes with its own set of challenges. You have to be prepared to direct yourself and learn on your own. The upside is you don’t have to make time to attend class or group assignments.
  - A blended learning course, although you have to make time to attend class and group assignments, learning is directed by the instructor and you have an opportunity to discuss topics with your peers and ask questions if you need help.
• Prepare to give up your free time. Be prepared to give up some of your evenings or weekends to study. This is just something that goes with the territory. Remember, it’s only for the duration of the course so there is light at the end of the tunnel.
• Reward yourself. To manage your study load and not burn out why not try one night on, one night off or reward yourself by taking a day off on the weekend to do something you enjoy.
• Establish a strong support network. Surround yourself with supportive people that can help you when you need it. It’s also a good idea to let your friends and family know you have study commitments, so they are aware you may not be able to attend events.
• Your employer buy-in. It’s beneficial if your employer is on board with your study commitments too, if they can be flexible to your study needs then you are at an advantage. It’s important to let them know in advance when you might need to take time out of work to complete an assignment or attend class.
• Write a study plan and set achievable goals. Whether you work backwards from due dates or prefer to get started as soon as you get your assessment, writing a study plan will be very helpful. Further, you could jot down a to-do list each day that clearly defines what you want to achieve. This will help to keep you focused and on track.
• Eliminate distractions. Try your best to eliminate distractions that hinder you from getting into the study zone. This might mean locking yourself in a quiet space where no one can find you or saying no to a social engagement when you have a lot of study on.

Finally, here are a handful of extra tips to help you get over the finish line:

• The ‘Slice and Dice’ method is about breaking your bigger projects up into smaller, more manageable tasks and chipping away at it slowly. Or alternatively, you could use the ‘Look at it Once and Move on’ technique, that focuses on completing something straight away and then never having to revisit it again.
• Figure out what time of day you work best and schedule your most challenging task during those hours.
• Get a routine going.
• If you need help, go and get it. There is no benefit in wasting time on struggling with something.

As you embark on this challenging yet rewarding chapter in your life, remember why you chose to study. It will be your light at the end of the tunnel.

Are you looking to study project management or training and assessment? CIT Solutions offer over 20 nationally recognised qualifications from certificate to advanced diploma level. Browse our courses today.