Aah, college. How great it would be if you could quit your job, and throw yourself into it entirely, mulling around reflecting on things like the Ancient Greeks, without a care in the world. However, most people can’t actually do this, as philosophical thinking in itself isn’t great for paying the rent, but don’t fear! College is still open to you if you have to work; in fact, there are many ways to get around this. We’ve put down some advice for those looking to balance work and studying!
Go part-time
College is one of those things that usually takes over people’s lives for a few years, until they go back into normality. After all, it’s pretty hard to attend a lecture at 10am if you’re working a 9 ‘til 5 job, so it’s best to commit yourself entirely, right? However, you can actually double the time that you spend at college – we mean, doing 6 years instead of 3, for example – and half the hours that you attend for each week. This is a pretty good idea if you want to hold down a job, too, as you will have half the workload, which will probably be manageable, unless you’re going for something with a lot of contact hours (like the sciences).
Look into studying online
The development of the internet has brought with it a lot more freedom for students, and it isn’t only because you can now access all of your books and lectures online. If you’re always busy with work and you don’t fancy the commute to your classes, why not study online instead? You’ll still get all of the benefits that others have – such as having ongoing support from the lecturers – but all you really need to have is an internet connection, and the motivation to get your degree. Whether you do an online MBA program or you’re interested in the humanities, have a look at your options for studying online.
Cut your job from 40 to 30 hours
If you’re working for 40 hours a week, you may want to consider finding out whether you can cut your hours to 30 instead. It may not seem like much of a difference, but you’ll still have money coming in, whilst having an extra day off to focus on your college studies. You may have to have a pretty lenient boss if you’re going to do this (and you may also have to talk them around) but a whole day to focus on your work will really help you to get back on top of things. Having no break – over the weekend or in the week – just isn’t great for your head, so ensure that you only take on what you can manage.
So, if you’re looking to start a college degree, but you still have a job, keep these things in mind. From looking into part-time study, to doing your degree online, there are plenty of ways to get around this. If you find that it’s still too much, you could also try and sweet-talk your boss into reducing your hours! Good luck!
