Studying While working – Is It Worth It?

One of the things behind almost every successful career is higher education. However, not everyone is given the opportunity to have one at the early stages of their adulthood. The reasons for such issue could be many: the steep tuition fees in Austria and Switzerland, as well as some private universities in Germany, growing up in a country with a poor education system, having a family at an early age, and more. Therefore, some people tend to postpone their higher education until a more convenient time comes. Most young adults, however, decide to apply for a university straight ahead and find a part-time employment afterwards. Others, on the other hand, take up a course of study although they are already working full-time. Below we will be discussing these two most common cases of work and studying and shed more light on how to battle with this challenge and how to benefit from it.

In today’s fast developing world more and more working opportunities are coming up to the surface allowing people to earn money while engaging in all sorts of different activities from almost every possible location in the world. Part-time work is very popular among youngsters and is ideal for those who are studying at the same time. However, as with almost any other thing, there are certain advantages and disadvantages that go with working part-time.

For instance, the short working hours are a prerequisite for more free time and energy that can be devoted to studying and spending time at university. With a flexible schedule it should be easier to decide on the ideal timeframe per day that will be used for studying. Apart from earning money one can also gain experience and learn some very valuable skills like working in a team and dealing with stressful situations, or even make new acquaintances that might be of great importance in future. Although to a lower extent, work experience in part-time jobs show future employers at least a person’s devotion and desire of being independent as well as the ability of balancing between a variety of projects and tasks.

There are of course some downsides to being employed on a part-time contract. Working for about four to five hours per day might indeed seem easy, yet realistically most part-time jobs are rarely going to help glamorize one’s CV. Furthermore, some of the job roles are quite exhausting and might not really serve as motivation for self-discipline and even prevents young adults from improving their time management skills and studying after work. The low income might also require a reduction in one’s monthly spending.

There is no doubt that many people nowadays want to pursue some sort of higher education or additional studies in order to ensure their career growth. Sometimes such cases occur in the more advanced stages of one’s life when full-time employment is also present. Keeping the balance between long hours at the office and studying seems to be incredibly challenging, yet it is not completely impossible. To get a better idea of what to expect from the combination between full-time work and studying here are some of the upsides and downsides related to such endeavor.   

Full-time employment can be truly time and energy consuming, which often serves as the perfect excuse for postponing studying to the following day. Both aspects require almost equal amounts of focus and dedication, which in turn demands a good state of mind. Handling so many tasks at the same time seems impossible at first and perhaps this is the reason why so many people tend to postpone studying. Also, some employers have higher expectations from their workers and require maximum results in terms of work obligations.

Yet, balancing between work and study is actually a great opportunity for those who are keen on learning how to be in full control of their tasks both at the office and university. Such kind of discipline can be very useful in other situations in life in that one will be able to perform better under pressure. Furthermore, given the fact how difficult it is to arrange both work and study some might find it as a motivation to study hard and finish with their academic education as soon as possible.

The most common picture of a prospective student that most of us paint in our minds when talking about a student is probably that of someone in their early 20s thrilled to indulge into to the student life right after college or high school. However, nowadays, acquiring a particular academic qualification is more and more sought-after by working adults who also have families.

Studying, meeting deadlines and doing exams seems stressful, especially for those who have children. Having to work for eight hours every day and coming back to a house full of chores and a family that requires attention sounds quite exhausting on its own, let alone finding time for studying. Many people fall victim to the common belief that studying at a more advanced age will push all other aspects of one’s life aside and consume the largest timeframe of their everyday life.

However, becoming an adult student can actually be considered an upgrade rather than a downgrade. Further education and qualification can bring a significant career progress or propose new opportunities to those who feel their current job is not exactly suitable for their character. Studying at such stage of one’s life will not only diversify their busy lives but will also help them stay connected with other individuals. In addition, handling so many tasks and with a great success might set a good example to one’s kids and motivate them to achieve their goals in future.

Having discussed the most common case scenarios of work and studying, it is time to look at the ways of battling the lack of motivation and desire for hitting the books after an exhausting day at work. Coming home tired is hardly a prerequisite for studying at an optimum level, which is why future students will need to be realistic in their expectations towards such endeavour. Below there are several tips for an easier incorporation of studies in a busy schedule filled with work responsibilities, household chores and all sorts of additional tasks. Regardless of the circumstances, achieving such goal usually passes through several stages. For optimal results, the following recommendations should be taken into consideration.

• Be consistent – Some changes, like starting a study course while already busy with work, can be very stressful unless one finds a way to deal with them. According to doctor Maxwell Maltz, a plastic surgeon and author of Psycho-Cybernetics, it takes about 21 days for a person to form a new habit. Having this in mind, it could be said that being consistent throughout the first few of weeks can make studying easier in their everyday life.

• Learn how to transition – On the way home after a long day at work it takes very little for one’s good intentions for two or three hours of studying to fly out the window. This is why it is very important for one to learn how to transition from their daily activities to studying. As suggested by Brendon Burchard, one of the leading high-performance coaches in the world, such transitions can be done when releasing the tension from work in order to renew the energy and set the intention for studying.

• Identify a timeframe for studying – It is important to identify the right hours for studying after work. Setting an unrealistic schedule will affect the overall outcome in a bad way, since very few people are able to study effectively for more than three hours after an eight-hour workday. An example of a good schedule would be studying in short blocks of about 30 minutes to an hour or so with brakes in between that can be quite beneficial for one’s productivity.

• Make a study plan – Studying after work requires a specific preparation and making a study plan is one of the key aspects of it. Writing down such a plan will help with the prioritization of the tasks and their successful execution.

• No distractions – Before starting the studying process it is very important to eliminate everything that could be a distraction. People nowadays are almost constantly hooked to their smartphones, which presents a significant problem when it comes to studying. Future students will need to be determined to study and avoid interrupting the momentum after coming back from work.

• Find the right place – Comfort is essential for effective studying. A good place without distracting surroundings can suggest higher levels of concentration and productivity. There are many possibilities, such as one’s home, a library or other public places depending on every individual’s own preferences.

• Eliminate limiting beliefs – Having established some of the first steps towards a successful learning process, it is worth mentioning that none of them can be put into action without the right mindset. When a person is tired it is often the case of trying to find every possible excuse for postponing studying and procrastinate, especially when getting home back from work. Thoughts such as “I am too tired mentally/physically now” can have a very powerful impact and discourage people from studying, which is why they must be eliminated and replaced with other, encouraging ones. To that end, some of Brian Tracy’s, a motivational speaker and self-development author, strategies of overcoming limiting beliefs, which focus on developing a self-confidence that combined with a clear plan of action will allow one to move obstacles and achieve their goals with ease, may be usfeul.

• Recharge after work – The mental state and a healthy, energized body are crucial for stimulating the brain and enhancing its learning abilities. Listening to music or reading few pages of a book right before studying can help boost mental function. Physical exercises such as doing yoga, going to the gym or swimming can be easily implemented into one’s study routine and are great for improving long-term memory. Universitaet.com offers one-of-a-kind deals*[1], including discounts on sports cards or coupons for sporting and wellness facilities.

• Read books – Other ways of improving personal motivation and learning how to be determined in the achievement of certain goals is through reading books focused on personal development and gaining control of one’s time. Another alternative for a person to find inspiration for engaging in new experiences such as studying are the various motivational seminars or lectures that focus on creating a consistent drive for making things happen.

• Seek alternatives – As discussed earlier, some of the people engaging with studying have also children aside from a full-time job. Being in such a position can make the whole process even more complicated as a family requires a lot of attention, not to mention the household chores that need to be done on daily basis. In this period of time, it is necessary to find alternatives such as hiring a babysitter, requesting help from their significant other or other family members with the preparation of dinner or cleaning for example, or even study along with the children while they are doing their homework.

There is no right or wrong answer to this question as the answer depends on a person’s individual point of view. Having in mind all of the benefits and downsides described above should only make one’s decision easier whether or not studying while working is right according to their personal situation. The bottom line here is that work and study can be actually done simultaneously with some effort and creativity.

Higher education is becoming an increasingly important aspect of people’s lives as it not only provides knowledge of the world and gives people many different perspectives of life but also gives them the opportunity to seek better employment opportunities and afford a better lifestyle. It furthermore allows people to gain in-depth understanding of various matters and teaches them how to think critically, which makes education an aspect worth to be considered on its own. Therefore, going through some hard times while finding the balance between work and study might be worth it since at the end those efforts will probably pay off. To facilitate this process, universitaet.com provides comprehensive content through blog articles, white papers and various features designed to help future students get a better idea of what to expect from their studies.