If you’re an adult about to go back to school, you might be a bit concerned about how you’re going to fit all of that learning in. Degree courses take years to complete and most people get a part time job to work, but that tends to be the length and breadth of their responsibilities. Even then, this setup can be a struggle!
But as an adult, who may have kids to raise or a full time career to clock in at or both, you can already see the difficulty in trying to squeeze this one more thing in. We won’t lie to you here; fitting higher education into the schedule is not going to be easy! But there are things you can do to rebalance the scales and make working, caring, and studying much more approachable.
Negotiate with Your Boss
If you’re working a very demanding job right now, you could schedule a one on one with your boss and explain your plans to them. At the very least this will let them know why you can’t do any overtime in the near future or will need to have strictly scheduled shifts from now on.
But hopefully, this will be your chance to negotiate a more lax, understanding work rota that supports your desire to further your education. Let them know what you’re after as clearly as you can and be sure to state what it is you can continue to commit to.
See if There’s an Online Option
Online access to higher education is very common in the 2020s, but it’s not always a given. You’ll have to check if the college you’re signed up with offers this, or enrol at an online-only college in the first place.
Even if the college doesn’t specifically state whether there’s an online option for students, it’s worth it to enquire about the possibility. Whether you’re attending a music course at Clive Davis or you’re attending a programming degree at Princeton, see if there’s a flexibility clause that allows access to education for all.
Have Regular Yet Flexible Study Periods
You don’t need the same slot every week to study and keep up with your course notes. You just need a regular set amount of time to do this. Trust us, this will be a lot easier to keep up with than any other timetable!
So if you study on a Wednesday one week, you don’t necessarily need to study on the same day at the same time next week. Save it for Thursday or Friday if you have more time for it then, just as long as you get the time in each and every week.
This way you give yourself a bit of structure in your course without having to put off everything else, or indeed, stress over not being able to actually put these things off!
If you’re an adult entering higher education for the first time, make it easier on you with these tips.
