Juggling School, Work, and Life! Student Success tips for keeping school, work, and life in order.

Juggling the competing and often conflicting demands of work, life, and school can be difficult, but it’s critical to your mental health and academic success. If you're tired of trying, or it's just not working, you're not alone. Check out these tips that are helping your busiest peers have healthier, happier, more sustainable college experiences.

Manage your time

Balance starts here. Use this Study Schedule Template to plan out how you will divide your time between work, life, and school commitments. Follow these steps:

Block off FIXED COMMITMENTS – obligations that cannot be moved, like commutes, work, class, etc. Be thorough!
Block off FLEXIBLE COMMITMENTS – activities that are personally important but could be moved, like gym, meals, family & friends, hobbies, sleep, etc.
Block off STUDY TIME for each class, considering course difficulty, academic status vs. goals, and prime study hours. Aim for 1-2 hours/week per course credit.
Try it for a week. Assess and adjust as necessary. Click here for more on creating healthy study schedules.

Manage your assignments

Now that you’ve scheduled WHEN you’re going to study, start thinking about WHAT you’re going to study. Use a daily planner to keep track of upcoming assignments, quizzes, and exams. And if you have time to complete an assignment, pick a day that works best for your schedule. Click here for more on keeping a daily planner.

Talk to your professor

Your professors are real people who have lives outside of the classroom, too. Most will understand the challenges of balancing work, school, and life and may be more willing to work with you if they know about your situation.

Find a Study Zone

A go-to place where you know you'll lock in and be productive. Do you prefer the solitude of a library or the bustle of a coffee shop? Studying at a desk or outside? Try to avoid places you also use to relax (bed or couch), as it sends your brain mixed messages.
If you must study at home, designate an area that is solely for studying. Keep it clean because clutter hinders focus.

Minimize Distractions

Distractions are grade killers. So wherever you study, control them. Turn off the tv, silence your phone, close social media and messenger apps, stop unnecessary notifications, don’t check texts and emails until you finish studying.

Consider online classes

Online classes offer the convenience of studying anywhere, anytime, which can help you overcome scheduling conflicts, not to mention save you commute time.

Build a support network

Surround yourself with trusted people (family, friends, instructors, Student Success Coaches) who can help you through this journey. Letting this inner circle know about your busy schedule allows them to share in responsibilities, hold you accountable, motivate you, and (for family) know when they can expect to see you.

Take time for self-care

Find ways to care for YOU: Eat a healthy diet, exercise, get good sleep, practice positive self-talk (“I can do this!”), do something that relaxes you (music, walks, pets, books), and, dare we say, have fun!

Set boundaries

If you’re swamped, try to avoid taking on new responsibilities. This means learning the art of politely saying NO.
Setting boundaries also means keeping work, life, and school separated. Don’t study when you should be working, and don’t let school or work interfere with family time. Time Management (discussed above) will help you compartmentalize.

Ask for help

Don’t believe the lie that you have to do this by yourself. An often overlooked academic skill is knowing when, how, and whom to ask for help.

School: If you’re stuck on a question, concept, or tricky assignment, ask your instructor or a tutor for help.
Work: If you’re working too much, ask your boss for fewer hours (at least during midterms or finals). If you’re just working bad hours, ask coworkers to cover or switch shifts.
Life: If you feel overwhelmed or unable to cope, confide in a trusted friend or family member, a Student Success Coach, or a free UTSA counselor.

You don't have to settle for chaos. With our tips and your effort, you can juggle your responsibilities and get back on track toward your goals.