If you’re a student who has a job, you may find balancing both a bit stressful at times. However, by incorporating some good habits into your routine, you can successfully manage both! We share some tips for balancing school and work.

Stay organized

Maintaining a busy schedule requires organization, planning, and time management. A good way to stay organized is to use a calendar or app on your phone to schedule all of your daily and weekly tasks. We recommend scheduling or noting everything you have going on, like your work schedule, upcoming homework assignments and exams, or plans with friends. Having a centralized place to look at all of your responsibilities in a week can help you plan a schedule that works for you!

Practice prioritizing

Knowing how to prioritize your school and work responsibilities is an important skill. Review all the tasks on your daily schedule to identify which ones are urgent and must be completed immediately, and which ones can be saved for later. There will be days when you can’t tackle everything on your list, and that's totally okay! Focus on the most urgent and important tasks first—everything else can wait.

Take care of yourself

When you’re juggling work and school, it can seem difficult to take time for yourself, but it’s important to help manage your stress and avoid burning out. Try to always get a good night’s sleep and fresh air, and take downtime from work and school to refresh. If you have a hobby that helps you destress, make time for that, too! 

Lean on your support system

Having a strong support system is important. When challenges appear, you don’t have to face them alone! Reach out to your support system—like friends, family, trusted educators, or co-workers for advice and support during difficult moments.

Know when to make adjustments

Balancing a packed schedule can take time to adjust to. However, if you start to fall behind in school or are working too many hours at your job, talk to your boss and teachers immediately to explore ways to get back on track. If your responsibilities feel overwhelming for a prolonged period of time, it might be time to reevaluate your schedule. Remember that your academics should always come first!

Have any questions about balancing work and school? Text #Hello to 33-55-77 to chat with one of our advisors. If you're using a mobile device, click here to have the text message set up for you!