Grad School & Work/Life Balance

I recently just completed Grad School in May, and every time I tell someone I worked full-time and went to school full-time, they look at me wide-eyed and ask, “How did you do it!?” So, I figured the most appropriate topic for my first blog would be how to balance the two!

If you’ve made it this far I’m assuming you’re either thinking about going back to school but have no idea how you’ll manage it OR you were accepted into a program and you are now in a time management panic. 

Okay, so how did I do it? Below you’ll find ten tips describing how I made it through!

1. Inform Your Employer

I don’t mean just tell them you’ve been accepted; there is much more to it than that. Make sure they know what your schedule looks like. Ask if it would be okay for you to take a 4 PM class that you are dying to take and if you can make the hours up throughout the week. Your team at work could be the strongest support system you ever have. There were days when my team could tell the last thing I wanted to do was go to class, but they would encourage and push me to go.

If you’re in a program that relates to work, your co-workers could be the best resource for your projects and papers. I had opportunities to talk to executives that I would have never gotten before grad school because I wanted to tap into their knowledge and expertise for certain projects.

2. Location

Find a school that is close to work NOT home. If you can find something that is smack dab in the middle of work and school, that’s even better. It gives you the flexibility you’ll need just in case you need to stay at work a few minutes late for any reason and still make it to class on time. It also won’t make going home at 10 PM unbearable.

After an 8-hour day, the last thing you want to think about is traveling far to school. The level of temptation you will feel to go home will be incredibly overwhelming.

3. Ease Into It

Confession: I wasn’t a full-time student the entire time.  I started by taking one class at a time for two semesters. This tip is especially important for individuals who have been out of an academic setting for a couple of years.

There’s no rush! Before you apply check and see how much time the school gives you to complete. My program gave us SEVEN years to finish (I did it in three).

I saw too many students struggle to get assignments done on time because they took three classes their first semester while working full-time and managing a family. They couldn’t fully enjoy being in the new academic setting they were excited about in the first place. You will be faced with times where you have to write three papers, participate in 2 group projects and read 100 pages of text all in one week. If you’ve been out of the game too long, these times will make you want to run for the hills.  So do a little warm up and start with one class at a time.

4. Introduce Yourself

I don’t mean that first day of class introduction that the professor makes the class do together (yes, that is still a thing, and you will do it for every class every semester).  I mean introduce yourself personally to the people who sit around you, shake their hand, strike up a conversation, and start building your school network.

Don’t assume that you can get through the program alone. Is it possible? Sure. Enjoyable? Not in the slightest.  Having someone to email or text during difficult times like when you forget a homework assignment or are feeling confused about a project will make things so much easier.

5. Take Classes With Your Friends

Connected to the tip above, but it deserves to stand-alone. Once you have made some friends in the program, ask them what classes they are taking the following semester. One semester I took three classes with NO ONE that I knew, and I was miserable. This was also when I was deep into the program, so my desire to make new friends was not at the top of my priority list.

I did my best to build relationships in these classes, but it just wasn’t the same. I regretted not paying more attention to what everyone I was already close to was taking.

I’m not saying make sure you know someone in every class you take, but at least take one with people you know. This tactic will help you tremendously for those dreadful required courses like statistics and economics. Which brings me to my next point:

6. Don’t Take Tough Classes Early On

Pick a topic that you dislike – is it in your head? Okay, now I know what you’re thinking “shouldn’t I just get it over with?”

I didn’t take statistics until my fourth semester, and I was terrified. I was the person who pushed it back as much as possible hoping one day I’d receive an email stating it was no longer required.  I wasn’t the only one either – I was surprised when I heard how many of my friends were going to be taking it the same time I was.

I was so grateful that I waited to take the class after I already built a support system. We spent our Saturdays in study groups; Google chatted whenever we could to get lab assignments done together, and we were constantly exchanging notes. The class I was dreading the most turned out to be the class that left me with the best memories.

Also, you don’t want to take a class on a topic you don’t like if you haven’t been in school for a while. Grad school is supposed to be an enjoyable experience for you so don’t ruin it for yourself by taking a tough class first. 

Remember, there’s no rush!

7. Learn How to Say “No.”

Graduate school is a significant lifestyle shift for anyone whether they are working or not. Unless other people in your life (friends & family) have experienced it, not many people will understand the commitment involved.

Your weekends are sacred. You’ll need them for homework and rest. You must be conscious of dates when you’re asked to attend family and friend functions. If you were busy for two weekends in a row and you’re invited to a BBQ the third weekend in a row you just might have to miss out.

After a while, my loved ones started to understand they needed to be more sensitive of my time and would stop inviting me to things last minute.

8. Being a Full-Time Employee is Not an Excuse

 I encourage anyone who is going to school and working full-time to say the words full-time during class introductions. It’s important for professors to understand what types of students they have in their class.

I don’t encourage anyone to use it as an excuse to turn assignments in late or not do the readings (trust me, I’ve seen it happen). You want to save the “full-time employee card” for real emergencies. For example, there’s a huge emergency audit at work that requires your assistance and your final paper that you planned on editing at your lunch hour is due at 5 PM. You will be glad you didn’t use work as an excuse for small reflection paper assignments throughout the entire semester.

You made the decision to go back, so employers and professors don’t deserve to see your performance decline. Be transparent with both about your current situation when you have to be.

9. Pack Extra Food

You can’t go to class on an empty stomach. The last thing you want is to be distracted by hunger pains while you’re trying to pay attention to your professor lecturing for two hours.

I would pack an extra serving of food for class days and eat it in the office before I had to head to class. It allowed me to stay healthy, kept my wallet happy since I didn’t have to buy food before class, and it gave me the energy I needed for class.

10. Limit Your Class Days

Don’t schedule yourself to be on campus for more than two days a week. Your job is equal as important, and it deserves your attention. You also need to be sensitive to your physical and mental well-being. After two days of being in class, your mind might not be able to handle another night of lecturing. Does this mean there will be nights when you’re at school from 6 PM to 10 PM? Possibly, but you’ll be glad you gave yourself three free after work nights than just two. It gives you more time to catch up on work in the office and more nights to choose from to do homework.

Make sure you’re using ratemyprofessor.com when choosing your classes. Especially for those late classes! You want a professor with good energy that will make you happy to stay at school late.

Too long? Didn’t read?

In short, working and going to grad school at the same time is possible and you will survive. However, it should be an enjoyable experience, but it is going to require more strategy and time management on your part. So, don’t jump into it without thinking it through and planning accordingly.

There are loads of other tips that I didn’t include, so if you have any other questions, please feel free to comment or contact me ?! 

This article was originally published at www.alexandriabellivan.com/blog. Thanks for reading!