How to Work and Study at the Same Time

Is it possible to combine work with studies? If so, how can it be done? If you are reading this, chances are you belong to one of two groups:

• You work and study at the same time.
• You intend to work and study at the same time.

Since the approach differs depending on which group you belong to, I'll deal with them separately.

I already work and study

If you belong to this group, you are currently employed while studying. Your main concern is how to make this as efficient as possible, assuming you've had difficulties combining the two.

1. Measure your time

Don't rely on estimates. If you truly want to know how much time your work and studies take, sit down and calculate it on a piece of paper. Don't be satisfied with writing down only the hours you are working or attending lectures.

Instead, write down all the activities connected to each one, such as the time it takes to travel to work or school, get ready and so forth. Only when you measure everything related to an activity can you begin to see how much time you'll have left.

2. Free up some time

The easiest way to free up time is to look through all the time-consuming activities you listed in the previous step and ask yourself the same question about each one: "Do I really need to do this?" In many cases the answer will be yes, but in some it will be no. Start by finding those unnecessary activities.

3. Optimize your time

Not everything can be discarded, of course, so how do you deal with the rest of your activities? Once you know how much time is at your disposal, you can begin to optimize it and focus on the things that produce results. Go through each entry on your list and ask yourself: "Can I optimize this somehow?"

You shouldn't do unnecessary things just for the sake of doing them. If certain lectures don't benefit you (and attendance isn't required), it may be wiser to skip them and work through the material on your own instead, asking the teacher for help when needed.

Other things to optimize include your commute (can it be quicker, or can you study while commuting?), lunch (can you shorten your lunch break?) and other daily tasks that together take up a lot of time.

I intend to work and study

If you are currently either studying or working and you're thinking of combining the two, you'll first need to find out how much time the new job or course will take up.

1. Make a schedule

Create a written schedule, filling in your work hours and the time set aside for what you're currently doing. Keep one important thing in mind when estimating how much time an activity will take: never be too optimistic. It's better to allow too much time than too little. Even though something may seem possible on paper, it rarely works out as neatly in real life, because things will happen that you didn't account for. At the very least, keep this in mind whenever you plan something.

2. Keep the primary fixed

If possible, don't go all in. In most cases, one of the two (your job or your studies) is your primary commitment. Either way, make sure the secondary one takes up only as much time as needed. If you are a full-time student who needs extra cash, don't try to fit in a full-time job all at once. Take it slowly: start part-time if possible and add more hours as you go. Likewise, if you work full time and need that job to support your family, don't risk it unless you are absolutely certain you can manage.

In short, the primary is the constant; you can't do much to reduce it without serious consequences. The secondary is the variable. Use as much or as little of it as you like, as long as it doesn't take away from the primary. The secondary changes in relation to the primary, not the other way around. If studying is your primary and work your secondary, you can work as much as you want unless it hurts your studies, because the primary is the key.

For more on balancing your schedule, browse our time management articles.