While being an international student presents a lot of advantages and benefits, it also poses some struggles, especially if you’re juggling your studies with part-time work and other activities in your personal life.
It’s important to realize that you’re not alone in these challenges, as many other working students face the daily struggles of finding balance in their student and professional lives. Having work and study balance is extremely important to help you maintain a healthy physical, mental, and emotional state as you earn your diploma or certificate, while at the same time kickstarting your career path.
You can follow these quick tips on how to achieve a work-study balance:
1. Let your circle know about your schedule
It’s important to communicate your schedule to people involved in your personal, academic, and work circles. By doing so, you help them become aware of your time, and how you divide it by spending it on different activities. Also, by letting them know your schedule, you and your employer can plan ahead and make a timetable that fits your studies, work, and personal life.
2. Organize and plan ahead
In order to achieve a sense of work-study balance, it’s advisable to get on top of your game on both your academic and professional journeys. One of the best ways to achieve this is to improve your organizational skills. Being organized lets you be at your best in each of your endeavours, as it helps you make time for the multiple tasks that you have on your hands. For starters, you can plot your schedule on your calendar in advance so you can plan ahead for your daily, weekly, or monthly activities.
3. Mind your health
It goes without saying that staying healthy while being a busy working student is of paramount importance. Part of having a healthy, balanced schedule is allotting quality time for exercise, rest, and diet. Getting enough sleep, eating healthy and nutritious foods, and exercising regularly all contribute significantly to a well-balanced lifestyle.
4. Always communicate
An open line of communication between you, your employer, and your academic institution is key to getting a balanced work-study schedule. Not only that, but it also helps to nurture your relationship with your employer and instructors, as it entails a sense of proactiveness and responsibility on your end. Apart from that, schoolwork is hard enough as it is, so being able to communicate with your supervisor also helps ease the pressure of having commitments from both school and work.
5. Check your school and workplace for initiatives and programs that could help you
Lastly, you can check with your school and office for programs and initiatives that support working students! These organizations and institutions have different ways to show assistance to students; some schools organize information sessions, bulletins, and other programs, while other employers offer flexible hours, training, or study leaves.
TSoM is an institution that offers academic and career support for students from the moment they enroll in our program! We believe that every student deserves to have access to opportunities that promote a balanced lifestyle, particularly those who work while completing their programs. Our Student Services and Career Services departments host monthly programs, activities, and events to make sure that our students make the most of their student journey. To learn more about our programs, click here!
