How to Balance Study, Work, personal life
19/04/2021
There are three main parts of a student's life which consumes most of their time; study, work, and personal life. Study and work both can take up an ample amount of time and very less time may remain for personal stuff. This is one of the major issues a student face. So the question is: How to balance study, work, and personal life?
A college usually has two semesters or three trimesters. Each semester has multiple courses, usually three to four; however, in some cases colleges give students the flexibility to choose what courses they wish to enroll in particular semesters, called as electives, and what number of courses they wish to enroll. Each course can usually take up a lot of hours per week.
Part Time Vs Full Time Students: The workload of a full time student can of course be very different compared to the workload of a part time student. For a full time student, there is very less time left for work or personal life. So proper time management for students is very important. However, for a part time student, there may be plethora of time left after studies for work and other personal stuff.
It's important to choose the study load wisely. For instance, if you are already working full time, then it may be wise to choose a part time study load so you can still keep you job, keep making money, cover your expenses & fees, still study.
Another things to consider is that taking part time study may take a very long time to finish the studies. For instance, if a student takes a masters course, then if full time student completes it in two years, it may take up to four years for the same course to finish in case of part time study arrangement.
Also, if you fail a course it may just end up taking a lot of extra time. If it's your last semester, you will get your certificate or degree after another 6 months just because of that one course that you were not able to clear. Hence, it's also very important to clear it in one go to save time.
So it is up to an individual what they decide based on their personal circumstances. Some may be keen on finishing their studies as soon as possible, while others may not much be in a hurry.
Tips For Time Management In Online Learning: There are many students who opt for online courses to save time and make a balance between their work, study, and personal life. Here are 7 tips on how to balance study, work, and personal life when taking online courses.
1. Do Not Procrastinate: Delaying things may lead to piling of more and more work in the end. Another disadvantage of procrastination is that it only keeps adding more stress at the top of daily work load.
2. Consider Having A Day Off: Once, I was a student; today I have founded my own SEO services, so things are much busier now than ever. But I still try to create a good balance between work and life. It takes lot of effort, but it is possible. Vijay, who was once an international student and now runs a successful business, says "Sometimes taking time off actually makes things much better; it gives you strength to handle more pressure, and things start getting better from there on". Even the fitness gurus ask their clients to have a cheat meal despite being on a very strict diet. The reason to allow a chat meal is to keep the client motivated; else, if the client gets demotivated with the regular strict diet, then he/she may quit all together. A cheat meal keeps their clients from quitting.
3. Avoid Multi-Tasking: Though some may find it better to multi-task. However, the problem with multi-tasking is that it consumes more of your energy than usual and, in many cases, it's proven that it actually ends up taking more time to finish those individual tasks. The best way to complete a task is to finish it and then move to another one. Taking breaks is of course ok, as you don't want to drain out all your energies; however, try not to do everything at the same time.
4. Avoid Distractions: Today, most of us get distracted time to time by using Facebook, Twitter, or checking our mobile phones all the time. These things can distract you from the work you may be doing, and can take lot more time than usual to finish tasks. At the end of the day, when you are not done with particular tasks, this may leave you stressed. So, focus is very important to complete one task and move to another.
5. Take Care Of Your Health: Caryn, who is a Nutritionist, says "A balanced diet is important for students. Studying mainly during exams may take up a lot of energy and, hence, the right amount of nutrition is vital part of a student's life".
6. Utilize Your Time In Creative Things: This means, if you're a student, why not spend time reading articles on a career help site?
7. Stick To A Schedule: The reason for that is that when you plan things, then you always stay informed: It means you know when you will be able to finish a particular assignment or college project. You can always include breaks or a small outing as part of the schedule. It will work as an incentive to stick to schedule, knowing when to do what; otherwise, you may end up with a pile up of work, including new stuff that you were not aware of because you didn't schedule. Write things up, make notes, plan well, and you will find it much easier to balance your life between study, work, and personal life.
(Views expressed are personal)
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