Finding a work-life balance is the gold standard we all strive for. Things can get more complicated when you add the pursuit of a college education to a schedule that includes work and family life. Finding balance, including time for self-care is imperative to excel in your studies, maintain your career, and be present for your family.
Set a Schedule
In order to ensure you carve out enough time to fulfill all of your obligations to your job, your family and professors alike set a schedule. If you work 9-5, perhaps you can use your lunch hour a few days per week to study for an upcoming exam or to run errands. The more organized and proactive you are about time management, the more success you will have in each facet of your life.
Be Present
Worrying about that paper due in three days while you’re working, answering work emails while you’re home with your family, or worrying about laundry and dishes when you’re supposed to be completing research for a class only makes for increased stress, fewer feelings of accomplishment and less overall satisfaction. This is where the balance in “work-life-school balance” is most important. If responsibilities and deadlines from one area of your life hinder the enjoyment and productivity of the others, you are in for a rough ride. If you’re able to prioritize, compartmentalize and look at the bigger picture all at the same time, the happier everyone in your life will be…including and especially you.
Find Flexibility
If you work a full-time job, you’ll need to find a college program that has a flexible schedule. One of the best ways to ensure that you can make your own class schedule is to enroll in an online program. Online coursework can often be completed at any hour of the day and submitted on a weekly basis. Online degree programs are generally tailored for busy adults with professional and family obligations, and the flexibility is essential for many students. Conversely, some students who enroll full time in degree programs are able to find work with a flexible schedule or the ability to work from home. Professional and academic flexibility can have a significant and positive impact on your personal and family life.
Ask For Help
The quest for work-life-school balance cannot be achieved alone. This will be a time in your life that it is imperative to lean on others and ask for help. Family members helping with meals, childcare or household chores can go a long way toward your success by helping to create time in your busy schedule to excel in your studies. Similarly, seeking help from co-workers, employers, fellow students and professors can be the difference in just getting by and excelling in each domain.
Balancing academic, professional and family responsibilities can be tiring and fulfilling at the same time. Personal satisfaction and the setting of a positive example for your family by pursuing a college education makes the juggling of obligations well worthwhile. Be sure to find time to take care of yourself in order to avoid burnout, and keep your eyes on the prize! Faulkner University provides a Christ-centered education for students of all ages. Check out the different adult and online academics offerings at Faulkner to learn more.