For those of you who work full-time and are trying to pursue your degree, how’re you getting along? How’re you balancing things like everyday inconveniences/bills/household/appointments/relationships etc. without burnout or getting overwhelmed?

4 comments

1. I’m really honestly not

2. [removed]

3. I worked full time while doing a masters plus Spanish qualifications which were the equivalent of 1/4 full time.

   * I don’t have children, which made a *big* difference.
   * I gave some things up temporarily. I simply didn’t have the time for them. In particular, I gave up choir as it also takes a lot of practice time.
   * I had to give up most of my doing nothing very much time; browsing the internet, reading for fun, doing crosswords, watching telly.
   * I used mornings while having my breakfast to practice my Spanish vocabulary.
   * I *had* to do my Spanish homework at very specific times, or I simply wouldn’t have had time to do it.
   * I didn’t leave my Spanish until it was due, but practiced what we had done that week in the mornings, so that I was reinforcing it.
   * I was lucky enough to be allowed to use some time at work for my masters. I prioritised it, and made sure I wrote 1000 words a day when I was writing it up before I did anything else. It sounds a lot, but it is only 2 sides of A4 paper. By making it a quantity of writing, rather than an amount of time, it forced me to get words on paper, even if they were wrong. Doing that actually helped me to think things through and I could then go back and change what needed to be changed. It also forced me to actually get on with it, instead of getting distracted or day dreaming. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without that time.
   * I still kept up climbing twice a week. It let me have something which recharged me and felt like ‘my’ time, even though it also felt a real effort to actually go beforehand.
   * bills – paid mostly by direct debit, so no work?
   * household appointments – I only worry about my own appointments? Are you sorting things out for your whole household?!!!
   * Relationships – this was great. My partner was very supportive and looked after me. We share things pretty equally anyway. He understood when I just had to get on with work, and gave me space to do it, often doing extra around the house to make my life easier. But quite honestly, too, at times like this, we are both happy to just leave things more, and have a slightly dirtier house. It isn’t that important in the long run.

   Hope you are OK – it is hard work, possible in short bursts and impossible to keep up in the long run.

4. By prioritizing and reminding myself it will only be a few years. I have paused my training at the gym, I stopped volunteering, I have way less time to watch tv, and I meet up with one friend a week max. I also was able to reduce my hours at work, freeing up 4 hours per week.

   And with the degree, I try to let go of perfectionism. Good enough is good enough.