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Smarter Working Student

Time management is a challenge most students have to contend with. Needing to wake up before the sun is up to make it to the first class, studying for exams until your eyebrows fall off to make your mama proud, and writing reports and essays that could fill up a year’s newspaper subscription is, to say the least, daunting. And, not wanting to let the happiest years of one’s life pass you by, there are endless movie dates, parties, and hangouts you’d never want to miss.

Reality bites, you are in college and education does not come cheap. A part-time job is what you need to get through it. How do you fit all those in?

The rising costs of a college education have made it a necessity for more students to take on part-time jobs to sustain their studies. Having to work though, on top of being a university student, can be quite intimidating, especially if you haven’t mastered the art of time management and working smarter.

Creating a balance between school and work requires a great deal of time management skills. Below are some tips which may help you through this struggle.

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  1. Find your best option

Scout for opportunities at school that will make landing and keeping a job more convenient. A customized schedule might be available for you to to work around with. Find work that is near your place or school. This way, you save on precious time traveling and could use it studying or catching up on school work.

  1. Schedule accordingly

Look for jobs that offer the flexibility of the schedule. Your studies should always be a priority. Inquire about their rules regarding leave of absences which you might sometimes have to take. Adjust your work schedule to that of your school’s and not the other way around. Better yet, try searching for work from home jobs that will definitely give you a big advantage.

Have a clear idea of the school calendar of activities and make sure your working days and hours will not interfere with them. Have a contingency plan in case your schedules don’t conform with each other. Make arrangements with a co-worker to cover your shift in times you can’t make it work.

  1. Prioritizing is key

Know your priorities and abide by them. Make a list if you have to, most important on top down to the least. This will help you decide in times of conflicting demands from school, work, family and friends. It is easy to get confused when so many things are going on at the same time. Having set your priorities earlier on will save you the mistake of choosing whichever is the easiest way out, at the moment, when things start to get overwhelming.

  1. Working smarter

There is a whole lot of difference between working harder and working smarter. To work hard is to spend some extra time and effort to get the job done. On the other hand, working smarter spares you the trouble of spending too much time and effort in  finishing the job. It’s just a matter of searching for new and innovative means like myadmissionsessay reviews to accomplish the task in a defter yet equally productive way.

  1. Multitasking is overrated


“Jack of all trades, master of none” still holds true. It is always best to focus on one task at a time. Multitasking is ineffective and can often result in substandard outcomes, thus the need to do the task all over again. Studies have concluded that people who mostly multitask don’t distinguish what is relevant and important from what is not. Working memory is not managed and that they are always distracted.

The better approach would be to plan ahead, work out the details and seek more creative solutions like myadmissionsessay reviews to potential problems.

  1. You may need support


If the stress of having to do so many things in so little time is already taking a toll on you, take time out to be with people who have got your back and will give you that much-needed support, emotional or otherwise.

  1. Take care of your health


It all boils down to having a sound mind and a healthy body. Stress can negatively affect your emotional and physical well-being in a lot of ways. When everything starts to be overwhelming, allow yourself to step back, relax and recharge.

Having decided to be employed while getting an education is a commitment that could pose challenges you might not have been prepared for. But with the right time management skills and the ability to work smarter, you are well on your way to going up the stage and getting that diploma.