Success in school begins with balancing the demands of study with the other primary responsibilities of life. Students, regardless of age, have responsibilities outside of school. Older students may have even greater responsibilities.
It is what it is
This might be harder than I thought.
No one can afford to neglect their responsibilities at home or at work to be successful at school. That just doesn’t work. In fact, no one can afford to neglect their responsibilities in any of these areas and hope to be successful in the others. Successful students learn to contain and balance the entire load. Here are a few ideas that might help.
Know your limitations
The amount of time needed to address responsibilities at work and at home automatically limits the amount of time available to attend classes and study. No one has yet been able to add a 25th hour to their day. It does not make sense to bite off more than you can chew.
Set realistic goals
Know how much you can chew. Then don’t bite off any more than that.
I knew I could do it!
Kick the unnecessary to the curb
Sometimes there are things that must be set aside. Those can be objectively determined by making a list of all the things you do during a given period of time. Rank them according to their contribution to achieving your life goals. The goals in this scenario might be
- To graduate on time
- To make your employer successful
- To provide for your family
Something from every given time period is going to be at the bottom of the list. Get rid of it. It’s not contributing to your success, so it doesn’t have value.
One of these has got to go.
BONUS: Here’s one everybody seems to miss. What happens to the list when the bottom item is scratched off? There’s a new item at the bottom! Consider kicking that one to the curb too. Repeat the exercise as many times as necessary to remove all the counterproductive activities. Life will suddenly seem easier and more fulfilling.
Get organized
Planning and scheduling will reduce enormous amounts of stress and prevent unforeseen conflicts. Stick to the schedule. Make appointments to be alone, and to be with family. Schedule rest and exercise times to stay healthy.
Avoid distractions like the plague
Come on. Let’s have some fun. You can study later.
They are the plague. Abandon smartphones and mobile devices at preselected, planned times of the day. Contrary to popular belief, it is not necessary to answer the phone every time it rings or a text message arrives.
Work in a related field
Find a place to work that is related to your course of study. Employers are often willing to help students who are gaining skills applicable to their business. For the student, working in your chosen field means doing what you love to do. And the job could become permanent.
Frankly, the key to balancing school, work and home most often comes down to attitude. Determine to be positive, regardless of circumstances. See obstacles as opportunities, not problems. Balance will become a breeze.
To learn more about the how to balance study, work and home, get in touch with us. We are happy to help.
