Are you preparing to go back to school and start the new semester? Are you thinking of working and studying at the same time? For many students, the concept of studying and working at the same time can be frightening and rightfully so. It can be very stressful for students to balance two routes of life. It requires a high level of time management and planning too!
Regardless of whether you’re looking at a part-time or a full-time diploma or degree programme alongside a part-time job, it can be tough to figure out whether you’ll be able to hold down a role in any work sector while pursuing your educational goals.
Time management remains the key factor and backbone to ensuring that students can fulfil his or her duties while both studying and working. As such, in this article, we will be looking at 3 tips to help students better manage their time when working part-time jobs.
A word of caution before we delve into the article. The following mentioned tips and tricks are information that has been generally observed. As such, this written piece should not be read as a comprehensive or exhaustive list of advice for a working student.
The best way to find out what may work for your success would be by conducting ample research. Browsing through this article could function as the first step you take into exploring different ways to better manage your time when working a part-time job as a student. After all, you know yourself the best.
Without further ado, let’s get right into the article!
What is time management?
According to Lexico.com, time management refers to “the ability to use one’s time effectively or productively, especially at work”.
Practicing the value of time management with school and work related matters doesn’t actually call for much effort! Meaning to say, that it does not need to take the form of big or difficult steps.
Students can practice time management through the simple, and daily acts of our everyday lifestyle. There are tricks to get around this problem, though. Here are 3 steps you can take to start practicing time management when working part-time jobs during your school days. Keep reading to find out what they are!
Create a list of things you need to complete
Creating a list of things to get done is one of the first steps you can take to better manage your time as a student working part-time jobs. Start the day right! As you begin your day of responsibilities, list out the tasks that you would like to tick off your notepad. This will better allow you to get a big-picture view of what is waiting to be completed.
Have two separate lists for school and work related matters if that helps you see things clearly. Alternatively, jot them all down into one note in order or urgency if that works better for you instead.
Writing them down and numbering the items will also allow you to better track your tasks and projects. As Henry David Thoreau once said, “It is not enough to be busy. The question is: What are we busy about?” Taking a second to acknowledge the work you have to get done is one way to relieve unnecessary stress too.
And so, creating a list of tasks to be completed is one way to better manage your time when both studying and working through part-time jobs.
Learn to prioritise
Students can also better organise their time and duties by learning how to prioritise the tasks waiting ahead of them.
There’s always loads of work waiting to be completed when you have responsibilities from both work and school settings. Some of them may be due in a week’s time, others not so urgent. As such, it is crucial to learn that prioritisation is key at work.
Identify which of your projects cannot wait. Find out which tasks may take longer to get done. Will putting this task second on the list delay the deadline? Which of them are most important? Are your teammates waiting on you to finish your part?
Will finishing this task at work cost you your grade at school? Could you speak to someone and switch responsibilities to save you some time?
Take all factors into consideration and prioritise according to importance and urgency of the matter. This will allow you to figure out which of these works you need to get done first and what follows next.
Thus, prioritising your tasks in order of urgency and importance is one way to better manage your time as a student when attending classes and working part-time jobs at the same time.
Drawing lines and marking boundaries
The third, but perhaps, the most effective method to better manage your time when studying and working a part-time job is by learning when to draw lines and marking your boundaries.
Oftentimes, students push themselves hard both at school and work to check tasks off their lists that they completely forget what their bandwidth is like. Learn to say no! When you are already flooded with tasks and someone comes to you asking for ‘favours’ that leech you of your time, say no.
Be honest and express how you are unable to take on any more work until you clear some off your plate. Taking on more work when you already have your hands full is not a good practice at work. This will eat into your time and mess up your planned schedule at school.
If they insist that you take on the work, be open to discussing a realistic timeline as to when you may be able to complete the task. Otherwise, propose alternatives as to who else may be able to complete the task.
Take the initiative to set some boundaries. Remind yourself that you are indeed a student first. Work and its responsibilities should come second. Speak with your employers about how they may be able to assist you with time management too.
To wrap things up...
And there you have it – a compiled list of the top 3 tips on how students can better manage their time when working part-time jobs.
With all that being said, we have to come to the end of this article! We hope this written piece has provided you with some insights as to what sort of amendments you can make to your daily practices so as to make the best and most of your time!
In the meantime, if you’re on the lookout for job opportunities at companies within Singapore that are looking to hire students like yourself, read on! 😉
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