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My time at university had been poorly organized and unstructured, leaving me feeling distressed in my day-to-day life. Recently, through a process of trial and error, I have transformed messy disorganization to a new dimension unknown to man – productivity.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s been through this. Many students today are faced with juggling full-time work alongside full-time study. For example, in degrees like MSW advanced standing programs, students are already qualified with one degree and therefore many are already working full time in the industry. To assist you in balancing the workload, follow these 5 tips to form healthy study habits and balance your study and work commitments effectively.
1. Effective Daily Time Management
Lists. Lists. Lists. One of the most effective strategies for productivity is putting pen to paper and listing a selection of activities to do in the day. Writing down a list of tasks is a useful and productive tool to face the day ahead.
Begin with daily manageable tasks to complete in the morning, for example, wake up at a set time, cook a healthy breakfast, make your bed, etc.
You can add more complex tasks as you go and build your daily structure. For example, enforce study-specific tasks, such as completing 20 minutes of uninterrupted study. Spacing out your daily requirements to be straightforward and concise trains your brain to see them as manageable.
2. Goal Setting
Setting specific goals helps to keep you on track, no matter what you’re working towards. Set both short-term and long-term goals to ensure you cover all your bases.
A short-term goal refers to a goal that a person can realistically accomplish in a short period.
An example of a short-term goal could be cleaning your car every week for one month and passing one semester of study. A short-term goal does not need to change your life overnight, it is designed to put your habits into practice, getting you that little bit closer to achieving your big goals.
In contrast, long-term goals require a longer time frame, they require more planning and work. Write down one to five long-term goals that are relevant to your short-term goals and daily tasks.
An example of a long term goal might be that you want to finish your degree with a final grade of an A, or that in five years, you want to be working for a specific company in a specific department.
3. Avoid Perfectionism
“Perfect is the enemy of good” famously said by Voltaire, is exceptionally relevant today in most areas of work. Studies show that perfectionism in students can lead to higher levels of fatigue, anxiety, depression, and hostility.
Perfectionism can be countered by managing where we set the bar for ourselves, setting achievable and realistic goals, and accepting that no one can be perfect 100% of the time. If you’re a student, try to remind yourself that studying is about learning and making mistakes.
4. Communicate with Your Employers & Lecturers
While the responsibility is on you to manage your workload, it’s still important to communicate with your higher ups, keeping them in the loop. Not making your needs known to your lecturers or employer can lead to avoidable complications; as the saying goes ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’. Reach out to your lecturers (by email or in person, whichever you prefer) to ask about your progress for this study period. Your query could include questions you have been avoiding about specific topics, or ways you can improve your progress. As with study, it is important to maintain a level of consistency with your employer. This could mean planning which days you can or cannot work, and setting boundaries so that you remain a reliable employee.
5. Seek Support and Utilize Resources
There are a range of helpful tools and resources that can assist you while you study. These include Evernote to keep organized, Quizlet to assist you with retaining content, and Grammarly to help edit and proofread work.
Additionally, maintaining your mental health is crucial to keeping up with a busy work and study schedule. Your college or university likely has mental health support services available, and your employer might too. Consider looking into your state or county’s website, as it may have information on local programs and services. If you are struggling or in crisis, call or text 988, use the 988 lifeline online chat function, or utilize the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
A consistent effort to maintain honesty and transparency with the people around you is important in ensuring that you have someone to whom you can go to if a task seems unbearable.
Use these five tips to build healthy study and work habits to help you manage your busy bee life. It can seem overwhelming, but you can manage your workload, optimize your productivity, and get things done. Just don’t forget to take breaks when you need them.
