“There are not enough hours in the day,” is probably what you keep thinking to yourself as you try to balance full-time employment, graduate school, and your family/personal life. While we cannot add hours to your full days, we can offer tips to help you stay sane and be as productive as possible.
Here are 10 tips for balancing work, grad school, and family.
Perhaps the most important thing you can do to help yourself is communicate. Communicate with your professors, employer, and family early and often. Let everyone know what is going on, and what they can expect from your schedule and your time in the coming months/years. This isn’t a get out of jail free card – you still have to show up for work on time, turn in your assignments, and see your family, but everyone will be much more understanding if you prepare them ahead of time.
A key to balancing everything is staying organized. This is where a calendar comes in handy. Calendars offer structure and a tangible way to plan out your days and weeks. You are also less likely to forget to pick up your daughter from ballet if it is written down.
At the beginning of each semester, fill your calendar with your obligations for work, school, and family. A great way to keep your family in the loop, is to put everything in a Google calendar and sync it with your spouse, parents, significant other, etc.
Calendars are a great way to stay on top of everything, but at the same time be careful not to overbook yourself. If you schedule every minute of your day from 6AM - 11PM, it can be very hard to adjust when things change (and they will). Leaving some flexibility in your daily schedule will allow you to stay on track when an unexpected meeting comes up at work or when your study group goes over.
Caring for yourself is almost always the first thing to fall by the wayside when you get busy. As hard as it is to make time for self-care, if you make it a priority, you will see the benefits. Self-care is different for everyone, but basics include eating well, exercising, and trying to get some sleep (we know – what is sleep?) If you take care of your body, it will enable your mind to function more efficiently.
This goes hand in hand with using a calendar. You have planned out every area of your life. It may seem obvious, but be intentional with that time. Try not to study while at your son’s soccer game or send work emails during a scheduled study hour. Sometimes multitasking can leave you feeling like you got little bits done but nothing fully completed.
Take a look at your daily and weekly responsibilities – how can you make life easy for yourself? Maybe this means simplifying your life or out-sourcing tasks, like having Amazon deliver your groceries. Perhaps you designate some time at the beginning of each week to meal-prep, so breakfast, lunch, and dinner is grab-and-go.
No one said you had to do this alone, so build a support system. Gather your friends and family and ask for their help. Be specific about what you need and how they can help you. If people have offered help, don’t feel bad accepting. They love you and want you to succeed.
Decide where you will study and only study there. Studying in the same place consistently follows the same principle as muscle memory for sports. By studying in the same location, you train your mind and body to remember that this is a place set aside for study. This helps you get into your rhythm faster and study more efficiently.
When life gets really overwhelming, take a moment to step back and remind yourself why you decided to go to grad school. Maybe it is to pursue a new professional career or to provide better for your family. Whatever the reason, remind yourself and use that as motivation to persevere.
Graduate school is a temporary challenge! This chaotic part of life is only temporary, and it is important to remember that. Try not to get overwhelmed. Take life one day at a time, and focus on doing your best in this moment. You will succeed. You CAN do this!