(Hammond, La.) Balancing a job, a loaded school schedule, and a separate life can be demanding for students. A full-time job and school are two big commitments. Adding time for socialization and mental health makes life harder to handle. All three of those aspects will collide and conflict.
According to a Georgetown University report, 75% of graduate students and 40% of undergraduate students work at least 30 hours a week while attending school. Two Southeastern Louisiana University students have openly shared their struggles and tips for other students to learn from.
Working while in school is a challenge of its own. Putting all of one’s focus into just working can lead to exhaustion. Students will miss important moments or events. More time spent working allows for less time on education.
Southeastern alumni Grant Alonzo said, “I struggled to find the time to maintain all three. If I spent too much time in one area, the other areas would struggle. Grades dropping and not spending any time on myself.”
Working while attending college doesn’t seem like a good idea, but sometimes it’s necessary. Working students will have a steady salary to pay for tuition and supplies, employee benefits, professional experiences, and real-world skills.
For further financial help, students can look into grants and scholarships. Also, spend money wisely. Don’t go overboard on the spending.
Making room for proper “me time” and mental health in a jam-packed schedule will take time. It’ll be trial and error. It’s not easy, but if done correctly, students can live with less worry and stress. They can be truly happy.
“It does get kind of hard because it feels like I sometimes don’t get a break,” said Abby Kelley, a current second-year student at Southeastern.
Alternative Schooling Options
There are a few tips for achieving equilibrium. Attending an online college or taking online classes can help take away time management stress.
Alonzo said, “As a commuter, I was spending a lot of time driving, which made finding additional time for school, work, or myself very difficult.”
Online classes give students more flexible schedules and they can learn from almost anywhere. If students have one or two days of only online classes, they gain an extra amount of time by not physically going to campus. That saved time can be spent as free time or study time.
Making the Right School Choices
Making the right schedule is crucial. Scheduling classes and workdays need to be thought out.
Kelley said, “A good way to balance it all is to take classes in the morning or mid-day so you can have the rest of the afternoon off to do homework and have free time.”
Alonzo said, “I eventually realized that getting to campus early and staying later if needed allowed me to complete everything for school before I got home.”
Take advantage of being on campus. Start the school day early to get more time put into classes and homework. Waking up early is not exciting, but it pays off in the end.
Students can go to school during the week and work the weekends. Another option is working on the weekdays they don’t attend class. Having school and work separated will make it slightly easier to squeeze in personal time.
Finding the Time for Yourself
Alonzo said, “I managed this by spending time alone during the week and seeing friends on the weekend, but only when I had spent adequate time on my school.”
Preference is key. People enjoy going out and socializing, and others like to stay in and focus on themselves. Then, some like to do both. Wanting to have time for both in the middle of working and learning may seem simple and easy to people who don’t have that experience, but in reality, it is very challenging.
Alonzo said, “Rather than just focusing on finding time for myself, I had to accommodate social events or time with others into an already busy schedule.”
Though it may be tough, both activities result in students relaxing and having fun.
Mental and Physical Health — Making Things Easier
Telling students to relax and spend time for themselves is easier said than done. Googling only gives opaque answers. They are told to manage their time wisely. To eat better. To sleep better. To stay physically active. To take care of the body. To relax and not stress too much. It’s not motivating. But how can students do all this? Where should they start?
Keeping track of school work and due dates is messy. Classes won’t have the same schedule.
Kelley said, “Have a planner to schedule when assignments and tests are coming up so the workload isn’t so much.”
Color coding will make the schedule easier to read and follow. Look at the planner every day to remind yourself of all current assignments. Keep the planner open and take glances, making sure you are always checking and updating it.
Studying is a long process. Take small minute breaks in between. Watch a video or scroll through TikTok. Set a timer for each break to make sure you get back to studying.
Procrastination is not friendly. It’s your enemy. Start early and work as soon as things are assigned. Waiting to start an assignment adds stress because students will worry about finishing it on time.
Rewarding yourself reduces procrastination. Rewarding yourself doesn’t need to be extreme or luxurious. The simple things matter most. Reward yourself with your favorite sweets or snacks. Enjoy a movie. Play a game. Buy yourself dinner. Take a nap. Play with animals. Have an at-home spa day with facemasks. Give yourself something nice, but cheap. Force yourself to take a day off.
Counting down the days to winter or summer break also gives a little extra motivation.
Eating better doesn’t equal dieting. Changing some things will be sufficient. Limit the alcohol and soda intake. Eat fruits and vegetables. Eat something with high protein. Eat full meals; don’t just snack all day. Southeastern’s counseling center said on Instagram that skipping meals can increase anxiety, along with poor sleep and low exercise. Eat until you and your body are full and happy. An easy breakfast can be toast with strawberries, bagels, or eggs and bacon. Drink enough water. Take a water bottle and draw lines indicating how much you want to drink by the end of the day. Take it slow and drink water throughout the day.
Set an easy sleeping schedule and stick to it. Set it for the weekdays and sleep in on the weekends. The majority of the week should follow the schedule, while the rest is lenient and up to you.
Staying active doesn’t need to mean going to the gym for two hours. While some enjoy that, others may not. Long exercises don’t excite everybody and that’s okay. Take a walk. Do some yoga. Southeastern’s counseling center promoted meditation on Instagram. Do some household chores. Dance a little. Play Just Dance or learn K-pop choreography. If you do want to exercise a little, do a few situps, pushups, and squats. Don’t push your body too much over your limit.
Stay organized. Create a designated workspace. Communicate with others; don’t be afraid to ask for help. Make a plan. Trust in yourself and your abilities, but be aware of your limits.
Importance of Self Care
Having time for oneself is a crucial element. Without it, school and work will drain students.
Kelley said, “It is very important because if you don’t focus on yourself then you tend to lose yourself…If you’re not happy, then it will be hard to achieve anything.”
“Always find time for yourself. School is very important, but they (students) will never be able to truly focus on their studies if they aren’t giving themselves a chance to relax and unwind,” said Alonzo.
Squeezing in time for yourself, whether it is a mental health break by yourself or going out, is as important as earning money and graduating. Being overburdened with school and work can be extremely tiring and harmful to the body and mind. Students need a break now and then. If needed, the counseling center’s Instagram page recommends crying. It releases pent-up emotions, improves mood, and restores emotional balance.
Learning exactly how to manage college, a job, and time for yourself is a difficult task that takes time to master, but it will be worth it in the end when the heavy amount of stress and exhaustion is lifted. As previously mentioned, it is trial and error. Figure out what works for you and makes you happy with life.