Balancing your personal life with work and education can be demanding in today’s fast-paced world. Each aspect of your life is important and time consuming, but the completion of your degree is often not made a top priority when juggling everything at once. However, having a degree can lead to many new and exciting opportunities such as a new career, a work promotion or the development of your own business.
Using these six tips, you can incorporate education back into your life.
Establish a Space
Plan a dedicated work area in your home before you begin your online course(s). This space should be in a quiet environment away from distractions like family, friends or TVs. Determine that this space is strictly a workspace, not a personal space. Add a desk, good lighting and inspirational decorations to set the mood of the space. You can also establish work spaces outside your home such as libraries or coffee shops. A dedicated work space will help you get you into the right mindset to focus on the task at hand.
Know Your Limits
Taking multiple classes can accelerate your path to graduation, but it is important to know how much you can handle. It is OK not to be like everyone else. Take as many credits as you feel confident and comfortable with. This will establish a system of getting better grades with less stress. You are the determining factor of what you can and can’t handle, so it is important to know your own limits.SDState general studies major Jamie Giedd recommends, “Figure out how many classes you can handle at one time, and don’t judge yourself if you are not on a four-year plan. I started my degree in the fall of 1999. I graduated December 13, 2017.”
Multitask
If you commute to work or school or have regular exercise times, use that time towards your education. Many textbooks are offered in an audiobook format. There are also educational podcasts that can help you understand more about topics while adding personality and humor. These tools can exercise your brain while you exercise your body or make your daily commute. Here are some recommended audio textbook and educational podcast sites:
Reprioritize Your Time
Time is of the essence—it never seems like you can get enough of it. However, time-management skills are what will make you successful in finishing your degree. Lots of time can be wasted on social media, watching TV or simply doing nothing. These are the moments that you can utilize to get your degree. Jump on the opportunity to learn more by reading your textbook or posting comments on your classroom discussion board. A lot can be accomplished by utilizing these empty minutes.
Establish a Schedule
Working out a schedule between work, children and other obligations is vital to the success of finishing your degree. Scheduling all depends on what works best for you. Once you find a schedule you like, stick to it. This little habit will help establish a routine around your house, and it will help with the success of finishing your degree.
Connect Your Education to Your Career
Being able to find connections between your job and what you are learning in your classes is important to your career growth. Talk to your professors about ways you can apply the material you are learning in school to tasks you carry out at work and vice versa. It not only shows your professors and co-workers that you are growing in an area of study, but that you want to be able to apply that growth to your profession.
