Back to school: How to balance continuing education with work

It has never been easier to work and study at the same time, at least in theory. There are a plethora of online courses ranging from a few hours for a specific skill to full-blown degrees. The world of education has exploded with online learning with everything from sites like Udemy and Coursera to Harvard Business School. At the same time, the workplace has shifted too. Side hustles are all the rage, and there are thousands of jobs you can do with a laptop, mobile phone, and internet connection. So, working while studying or studying while working has become more accessible.

Be warned, though. Just because something is accessible doesn’t mean it’s easy. Working full-time and taking classes in the evenings or at weekends, or studying full-time in addition to working a part-time job to make rent can quickly become a slippery slope into depression, stress, and burnout. So, how do you make it work without running yourself ragged in the process?

Get ready to commit

Before you commit to spending countless hours and energy on earning a new qualification, take your time to decide if it’s really what you want. In his book, Four Thousand Weeks, Oliver Burke encourages us to step away from the productivity wheel and confront our radical finitude. Is grinding at work and studying really how you want to spend the next 10, 50, or 150 weeks?

It isn’t about doing nothing and standing still, but more about mindfully choosing how you want to spend your time for a more fulfilling life. We need to work to survive, but will your studies bring you joy? Are you truly interested in the topic? Are you sure it will help you with what you want to achieve in life? If you think it will get you the promotion you’ve been angling for, or a job you’re sure you’re going to love, make sure you’re on the right track by talking to people. Tell your boss what you’re planning and why and see what their reaction is. There are no guarantees, but it’s always a good idea to stack things in your favor.

Find the right fit

The sheer variety of courses out there is astounding, so spend some time picking the right one for you. Not only by content and what you’ll have achieved at the end of it but also in terms of how the course is delivered. Online or In person? Live or pre-recorded? With specific deadlines or at your own pace? Each has its advantages and disadvantages, and different courses suit different people.

• Online courses are usually the most flexible. You can study with a top institution on the other side of the country or even the world. However, you might miss out on peer support or even easy access to a tutor.
• Studying at your own pace is great if you’re the sort of person who finds it easy to make time, otherwise, you’ll end up falling behind with no end in sight because there will always be more important things to do.
• In-person classes are fantastic until your work schedule changes, you have to work late, there are transport issues, or some unexpected life incident happens, and you can’t just press pause.

Weigh the pros and cons of the courses available to you and pick the one you think will best suit you. The easy option may turn out to be the hardest if it relies on a huge amount of self-motivation and that’s not one of your natural skills.

As for finding a part-time job while studying, look for flexibility or working hours that won’t leave you too exhausted to focus on your morning class. Opt for a job that you don’t need to take home with you and is unlikely to require overtime where possible.

Share your news

We’ve all heard the saying, “It takes a village.” Well, this is your chance to use yours to your advantage. Tell your employer, tutor, family, friends, and anyone else involved in your day-to-day life. People can only offer help if they know what’s going on. If you have to attend a class at 5:30 every Wednesday, have a lunchtime tutorial once a month, or even need a day off to finish an assignment, your employer is more likely to help you make that work if they are aware of what you’re doing and why – especially if it’s going to benefit them in the long run!

There might even be bursaries or flexible-working programs available to help you that you aren’t yet aware of. Even if your reason for studying is a career change, you may still get more support than you expect because companies need to prepare for the future.

If you’re studying full-time and have a part-time job, it’s helpful if both your employer and instructor know as they may be able to offer you flexibility in working hours or deadlines.

As for friends and family, you want them championing your growth, encouraging you to study, dropping around a batch of homemade brownies when you’re finding it tough, but also understanding they might be seeing a bit less of you for a while, so they don’t think you’re ignoring them.

Set a schedule

It’s easier to make time for your studies if you block out certain times to spend on them. Work out what time of day works best for you: are you a morning person or a night owl? Each person’s chronotype works differently and you’ll find it easier to learn if you work with your natural rhythms. Create a schedule with an online tool or paper planner and stick to it. Let people know when you’ll be unavailable, so you don’t get so many interruptions.

Build helpful habits

James Clear’s Atomic Habits is remarkably insightful when it comes to achieving your goals. Here are some great tips he offers:

• Make your goal as small as possible so you simply cannot fail to do it. For example, you’re going to spend 5 minutes a day revising your notes, or 1 minute or twenty, whatever you can achieve with no resistance.

• Decide when (habit stacking). Say you’ll do it just before or after something you already do. For example, right after you brush your teeth, you’ll spend 5 minutes on your notes.

• Track your success – you can use a habit tracking app or a tick on a noticeboard or move pennies to a jar, whatever works for you.

• Reward yourself for achieving the goal. For example, 5 minutes of scrolling your favorite social media, watching a show you love, or sitting in the garden with the sun on your face.

Of course, you’re going to have to spend a lot more than five minutes a day on your studies, but this is a starting point you can build on.

Avoid procrastination

If you’re working and studying, you can’t afford to be doom-scrolling or wasting time when you should be getting an assignment done. In addition to blocking out time for when you need to work, you can set timers on your social media accounts to prevent those times when you lose half an hour or so without even realizing it.

You could also try using a concentration app like Forest, which you can set up to prevent you from accessing certain sites (we’re looking at you again, social media) for a specific amount of time.

Lastly, you might want to take a leaf out of Brian Tracy’s book, Eat That Frog, and start your day with your most important task, reviewing what you need to do each day on a list and getting that first goal ticked off.

Don’t forget to take breaks

There’s no doubt that working and studying at the same time will be tough, whichever one you are doing full time. So, make sure you take time out for some self-care. Make it part of your schedule just like anything else.

Don’t skip out on sleep to get things done, keep nourishing your body with good healthy brain foods, and remember to exercise, even if it’s just a walk around the block to start or end the day.

While you may have to tone down your social life, don’t give up on people completely. People need social interaction, and you may end up resenting your choices.

Learn the art of saying no

Daman Zahariades lays out the perfect plan for saying no to things that drain your time and energy without having to feel guilty about it in his book, The Art of Saying No. The process involves prioritizing your own needs and desires above others, not feeling the need to apologize or justify your decision, using positive language, and setting clear boundaries. If you have trouble saying no, now’s the time to learn.

There’s no doubt that further education and upskilling can give you a competitive advantage in the workplace, but it will take determination, resilience, hard work, and the support of those around you to work and study at the same time. You’ll need to develop your time management and planning skills and learn how to effectively prioritize without missing out on all the fun stuff life has to offer. Keep in mind that you can only skip sleep, exercise, and healthy eating for a short time before it starts to become a problem, no matter how much you want to achieve, you’ll only manage it if your body and mind are up to the task.

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