Time Management

School and work: a balancing act

For many students, juggling school and work is an everyday reality. As another school year looms, they're reminded to be organized and take time to nurture their interests outside the classroom and workplace.

LINDA WHITE
[ 2006-08-30 ]

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KERFORD
Trent University

Alana Janes, a fourth-year student at York University in Toronto, works as a barista at Starbucks. "It is a bit stressful, but I've talked to my boss about needing to have two days off so I'm not going to school or work. Those are my days to get caught up on reading and get homework done, without having to be somewhere at a certain time."

Being open with your boss is important. "Once in a while you get a really big project and need time off. My boss is more than willing to juggle the schedule," says the fine arts student. Developing a good rapport with co-workers is also helpful, particularly if you're responsible for finding someone to cover shifts.

For Janes, knowing she's got to balance school and work means little time for procrastinating. "I've never given work as an excuse for not getting work done. Sometimes, I've handed assignments in early if I knew I was going to miss class because of work."

Work during the academic year has become increasingly common. During the 2004/2005 academic year, an estimated 939,000 of the 2.4 million full-time students aged 15 to 24 had a job, Statistics Canada reports.


Working is a financial necessity for many. For others, it's a chance to develop valuable skills. But not all part-time jobs are created equal: some require late hours and considerable commuting you must factor into your schedule.

Kristi Kerford, manager of the Career Centre at Trent University in Peterborough, encourages students to find a job on campus, where employers are more likely in tune with your academic needs. If that's not possible, consider a job that typically employs students. "Working in retail or service might mean that your employer has a sense of life of a university (or college) student," Kerford says.

Don't let your class schedule give you a false sense of freedom. You may only have 15 hours of class a week, but each course could require numerous hours of homework, Kerford says. Identifying your most productive times can be helpful. "If you're a morning person, that's when you may want to do your reading, leaving your evenings for work, if possible."

Plan for the short term and long term. What must you do this week? Is a crunch time looming, when you've got numerous assignments due or exams to study for? Give your employer as much notice as possible. "Use interpersonal skills and be assertive about things like having to change your hours, while being respectful, professional and mindful of your employer's needs," Kerford says.

Balance is key, says Dr. Douglas Daher, dean of students at Centennial College in Toronto. "We not only have minds that we have to use, but our emotions and our bodies need attention, too. Watch your diet and get enough sleep and exercise. Over time, if these three get out of balance, there will be a price to pay."

Recognize and manage anxieties. "Doing both job and school will multiple the stressors in your life," Daher says. "Stressors can be positive, negative or neutral ... When your stressors are negatively charged, that's anxiety. You become more inefficient, there's a dread and it brings tension into the body."

Reduce tension through exercise, sleep and activities like journaling. Designating time for work and play is valuable and can prevent you from feeling guilty when taking time for yourself.

Manage your time wisely. Daher encourages you to break big tasks into manageable bits -- rather than worrying about writing a term paper, for instance, decide to get research and outline completed by a certain date. "You need to know how to break up tasks, to prioritize and put them into sequence."

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STATISTICS CANADA QUICK FACTS


During the 2004/2005 academic year, students had an average employment rate of 38.9% -- up seven percentage points from 1997/1998, Statistics Canada reports in a study called Education Matters: Students in the labour market. Other findings:

  • Older students were far more likely than teens to have combined school and work in 2004/2005.
  • Female students were more likely to have jobs than male students, in part because of better job opportunities in retail trade, accommodation and food services sectors, where women are more likely to work.
  • A record high of 45.9% of students aged 18 to 24 worked during the 2004/2005 school year. This compares with 31.2% of students aged 15 to 17 -- well below their peak rate of employment of 40.8% in 1989/1990.



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