I have been going to school full time and working full time over a year and a half, and I've learned that sometimes you cant get everything you need done without a plan. My first semester working full time I got 2 B's and a C, not what I was shooting for. You need to set yourself up for success; You can't just amble along idly if you want to keep your GPA above a "3.0". Minimizing the time you waste sitting around and doing everything as quickly and efficiently as possible will give you enough free time so you don't get overwhelmed. This is tailored towards a person working ~40 hours a week and completing 12+ credit hours at school.
Here are some tips that will help you be successful while working full time and going to school.
1. Get used to carrying your book bag.
You'll need to carry around your books pretty much everywhere you go if you want to be able to complete your homework, especially if you want to have a life outside of school and work. If you get a break during work, rather than going out, bring your lunch to work before hand if that is a possibility. That way you can do your homework and you wont waste time driving.
2. Try to group things together during your week.
If you can skip going to the bank today and put it of for tomorrow when you need to mail the bills, do it. Plan ahead in your shopping, buy things you need two or three weeks from now today; don't wait for the day you need something to go purchase it. If you use less time traveling you will get more done during the week and you will find more free time.
3. Set time aside on the weekends to plan out your week ahead.
If your instructors give you your homework that's due ahead of time and you know your complete schedule for the week, make a mental tentative schedule of when you'll have time available for homework. You may even want to write down your week's outlook in a planner to help if you like to stay really organized. Give yourself extra time, that way if you end up with time left over you can enjoy yourself, or start on next week's projects.
4. Get used to sleeping less, and sleeping short periods at odd hours.
You won't be able to get your eight hours of beauty sleep every day, especially if you want honor roll grades. Eight hours of sleep is an even way to split your day into thirds, and it has become a part of society that most of us just tend to go along with. If you sleep eight hours and work eight hours, that gives you the last eight for free time. There are other sleep cycles, called polyphasic, that you sleep multiple times during the day. There isn't much research on them and the psychological and physiological damages are not well known, so proceed at your own risk.
5. Learn to study while you eat meals.
You may not have a full 30 minutes to devote to a well cooked meal. If you can get a meal on campus make sure you're looking through your book seriously while you eat. If you live on your own cook enough so that you have leftovers. That way you can toss them in the microwave in a couple days and have a "freebie" meal. Also, while you're cooking you can be doing homework in between preparing the food.
6. Use mass transit if it is available.
If you have a 15 minute trip into town and you can plan your schedule around a buss schedule do it. It is better to take a 30 minute buss ride than drive 15 minutes. You can be reading a book or doing homework in those 30 minutes. So even though it feels like you lost 15 minutes, you had a gain of 15 minutes that you would have wasted driving instead of studying.
7. Most importantly, make time for yourself.
You need to have a social life outside of work and school. Even if you have just one night a week where you go hang out with your buddies and do something. Maybe a poker night, chess club or something, you need to have time set aside to be social. This may be an engineering club or something that is considered an extra-curricular activity that will look good on your resume. Just make sure that you are making yourself available for social time; many people will get burned out if all they do work and study.
Here are some tips that will help you be successful while working full time and going to school.
1. Get used to carrying your book bag.
You'll need to carry around your books pretty much everywhere you go if you want to be able to complete your homework, especially if you want to have a life outside of school and work. If you get a break during work, rather than going out, bring your lunch to work before hand if that is a possibility. That way you can do your homework and you wont waste time driving.
2. Try to group things together during your week.
If you can skip going to the bank today and put it of for tomorrow when you need to mail the bills, do it. Plan ahead in your shopping, buy things you need two or three weeks from now today; don't wait for the day you need something to go purchase it. If you use less time traveling you will get more done during the week and you will find more free time.
3. Set time aside on the weekends to plan out your week ahead.
If your instructors give you your homework that's due ahead of time and you know your complete schedule for the week, make a mental tentative schedule of when you'll have time available for homework. You may even want to write down your week's outlook in a planner to help if you like to stay really organized. Give yourself extra time, that way if you end up with time left over you can enjoy yourself, or start on next week's projects.
4. Get used to sleeping less, and sleeping short periods at odd hours.
You won't be able to get your eight hours of beauty sleep every day, especially if you want honor roll grades. Eight hours of sleep is an even way to split your day into thirds, and it has become a part of society that most of us just tend to go along with. If you sleep eight hours and work eight hours, that gives you the last eight for free time. There are other sleep cycles, called polyphasic, that you sleep multiple times during the day. There isn't much research on them and the psychological and physiological damages are not well known, so proceed at your own risk.
5. Learn to study while you eat meals.
You may not have a full 30 minutes to devote to a well cooked meal. If you can get a meal on campus make sure you're looking through your book seriously while you eat. If you live on your own cook enough so that you have leftovers. That way you can toss them in the microwave in a couple days and have a "freebie" meal. Also, while you're cooking you can be doing homework in between preparing the food.
6. Use mass transit if it is available.
If you have a 15 minute trip into town and you can plan your schedule around a buss schedule do it. It is better to take a 30 minute buss ride than drive 15 minutes. You can be reading a book or doing homework in those 30 minutes. So even though it feels like you lost 15 minutes, you had a gain of 15 minutes that you would have wasted driving instead of studying.
7. Most importantly, make time for yourself.
You need to have a social life outside of work and school. Even if you have just one night a week where you go hang out with your buddies and do something. Maybe a poker night, chess club or something, you need to have time set aside to be social. This may be an engineering club or something that is considered an extra-curricular activity that will look good on your resume. Just make sure that you are making yourself available for social time; many people will get burned out if all they do work and study.
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