Time Management 101 For Working Students

Time Management 101 For Working Students

During my college days, I only had 50 pesos as my baon. Even so, I still needed to save some cents out of it for unexpected academic expenses like photocopies of readings and notes. Coming from a poor family, I started saving my allowance when I was in first grade so that I can do my projects in school without asking cash from my parents. At a young age, I already understood the value of money. It is hard to earn so I must spend it wisely.

Being in college is no joke. I knew that I needed to be more serious in studying because I had grades to maintain. I had to get good grades to keep my full scholarship in the university. Being a scholar does not mean that there are no other expenses required. In order to accomplish all my projects and homework, I had to earn extra money so I could submit the requirements needed in each class. Most of the time, I had to rent a PC in a computer shop for several hours to write my term papers and do some research because I didn’t own a personal computer back then. My father had to take an extra job so I can buy an SLR camera for my photography class.

I had to work while studying back in college so I could have additional money for my studies. It is not easy to find a job for me since I am a short person, below five feet in height. But my lucky day came when I applied in a fast food restaurant inside a mall near our home. Since I started during summer vacation, the job wasn’t difficult and I easily adjusted to the time that I needed to report to work. But when the school year started, it became difficult for me to juggle school and work. Oftentimes, I find myself asleep during my classes.

There are things that we can do to manage our time properly so that we can still excel in school despite being a working student. These are things I wish I did when I was still a working student. Here are some tips on how you can manage your time:

1. Inform your manager about your class schedule.

Once you’ve enrolled in all your classes, inform your manager about your class schedule right away. This way, they can organize your work schedule very well without interfering your classes. You can work properly without compromising your studies. Another thing, always update your manager as early as possible if you have a make-up class or if you need to finish some group projects or research so they can adjust your schedule at work.

2. Manage your time accordingly.

You can avoid being late for class or work if you handle your time effectively. Proper time management is one of the things that working students should not take for granted.  Once the semester started, you need to begin waking up earlier than usual. Set your alarm clock and do some activities in preparation to adjusting your time for school. So that when it is about time to do two things (working and studying) at the same time, you are now adjusted to the time required.

3. Use your break time wisely.

Some working students choose to sleep during their break time at school. I am not saying that this is wrong but you can also use that time to read and review some of your notes and textbooks. It may sound too serious but you really need it. Most especially when you don’t have all the time for your schooling alone.

4. Be attentive during class.

Listen to your professor’s discussion so you can fully understand the topic. This allows you to spend less time in reviewing your previous lessons because you’ve already learned a lot in class. Saving time in reviewing notes is the best because you only need a quick refresher.

5. Catch up on sleep when the class gets cancelled.

There are times that professors don’t attend their classes.  If you don’t have a class for a certain subject, use the time to take some power nap. Don’t let this chance pass by, get some sleep and just ignore your noisy classmates. A little sleep can go a long way for working students.

But above all these things, you must know your priorities. If you see that working while studying is not effective for you, then you have to decide whether to continue working or just focus on your studies.

Do you have other time management tips that you want to share? Tell us about it!

[Image credit: Seoul Broadcasting System]