Juggling Work and School

By : Rachel Zupek

As any worker knows, juggling a job, family and your personal life is hard enough. Add school to the equation and it's easy to feel overwhelmed.

"In today's world, people are overextended, overworked and overstressed. Choosing to take on the dual role of both being an adult student and member of the work force can be difficult in even the most optimal of situations," says Elizabeth Lasher, coordinator of career counseling for Penn State Continuing Education. "Even with the best-laid plans, life can be pretty unpredictable."

Despite the difficulty of juggling work and school, there are ways to do so successfully, while also acquiring additional skills and benefits.

Rebecca Dobbins, 25, a full-time nursing student and traveling phlebotomist for a medical laboratory in Indiana, wakes up at 2 a.m. to work a full shift before going to school in the afternoon and spending evenings with her son.

"I strongly feel that juggling work and school is worth the stress," Dobbins says. "I can either go through a few years of hardship for a rewarding career for the rest of my life, or I can remain complacent where I am and never move forward."

The present economic climate has driven employees to work harder to stay relevant in order to provide themselves more job security. Workers are keeping up with industry trends, networking more, going back to school and renewing their skill sets.

"Keeping skills up-to-date is essential in this economy. [Workers] need to position themselves for advancement. Many adults have some education, but lack a degree," Lasher says. "What used to suffice no longer does. For many, that piece of paper stating that they possess a college degree is the minimum entrance requirement. That's why many states are pushing adults to go back to school to complete their degrees."

Lasher also says that in the role of a student, adult learners further develop and refine their time management skills and also learn how to delegate and prioritize to make it possible to both work and go to school.

Anne Dean, 33, works full time in the communications field, logging 40-60 hours per week. For a long time, she wanted to go back to school, but, in typical fashion, life kept getting in the way. Finally, her supervisor made it a part of her professional development plan, which she says was a "much-needed kick in the rear end." Although the juggling is not ideal, Dean says it's necessary.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? If I can handle a relationship, my child, running my household, volunteering on two boards and one committee, working a full-time job with a lot of after-hours social obligations and school at the same time, it will be cake when I finish and am 'just working,'" Dean says. "School is teaching me a skill set that I need to advance in my career, and the balancing portion is helping me learn to prioritize, barrel through challenges and fulfill commitments. All of those are invaluable assets on the job."

Jamie Miller, 41, a business owner who went back to school 10 years ago to earn a bachelor's degree in public relations says he most appreciates the time management he learned.

"I have to deal with multiple clients, deadlines and goals. Working while going to school helped me become a better multitasker," he says.

Challenges
There are clear benefits to juggling school and work at the same time, but they don't come without a cost to the worker attempting the balancing act.

For Dobbins, her biggest challenge was financial.

"College is very expensive, even at a community college campus. As a married worker in a professional field, my family's combined wages prevent me from receiving any government-funded financial aid. However, we do not make enough to be viable during school because of my decreased work hours. Fortunately, I was awarded a very generous scholarship," she says. "While the scholarship covers tuition, there are many other expenses that add up. For example, I spent close to $2,000 just this semester on books alone."

One way to overcome financial stresses of school is to explore options with your employer. Many companies offer tuition reimbursement benefits to alleviate the burden. In addition, Dobbins suggests applying for all the financial aid you can.

"Apply for every single scholarship you qualify for. Many scholarships are available and have qualifications for just about every person's situation," Dobbins says.

Another clear struggle for workers juggling school and work is finding time.

"There never seems to be enough to fit in work, family, social obligations and everything else," Dean says. "I do my best to budget my time and make sure the worry about getting my schoolwork done doesn't overrun the important things like tucking my son into bed at night or enjoying a Friday night at the movies every now and then."

If you're a worker trying to balance school and your job, Lasher offers these five tips:

1. Surround yourself with positive people
Miller says that his greatest struggle was balancing family obligations, but that he couldn't have done it without his wife's support. "I am fortunate to have an understanding and supportive spouse who helped greatly with the needs at home."

2. Tell others your plan
Involve family or significant others, friends and even your employer in your objective to go back to school, Lasher says. "Going back to school not only involves you, it involves everyone around you. They all need to buy into your plans and goals."

3. Be reasonable
"Make your educational plan manageable for you. Maybe that means going to school part time. That's OK if it works for you," Lasher says.

4. Don't beat yourself up
"Do the best you can, and beyond that, let it go. You don't have to be perfect in everything you do," Lasher says. "Sometimes we set ourselves up by placing unrealistic expectations on ourselves. We usually hold ourselves to a higher standard than we hold others to."

5. Know when to say no
"There will be times when something's got to give and that's OK. When that happens, talk to an academic adviser to understand your options," Lasher says. "Bailing out of school is often not the best or only option available."

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