How to Manage Time As a Working Student

Co-authored by Jai Flicker

Last Updated: October 21, 2021 References Approved

When you’re juggling school, work and other responsibilities, you may feel like you’re having a tough time keeping your head above water. You’ve got to pay the bills, but there’s studying to be done, and between the two the social life that helps keep you sane is slipping away. There just isn’t enough time! The time you have can be enough, however, if you just know the right way to structure it.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Jai Flicker
Academic Tutor
Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.} Just as organization and efficiency are paramount in succeeding at your job and your studies, these traits can help you make the best use of your time when trying to make it as a working student.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Making Your Job Work for You

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Base your availability around your class schedule. Give your manager a copy of your school schedule and ask that they arrange your shifts around these times. Most companies that employ students are happy to work with their school schedules so that they still have time to study and succeed in school.^{[2]
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- If you’re a full-time student, try to get multiple classes in a single day, giving you 1 or 2 days off during the week to work and study.
- If you plan to work on a school day, give yourself enough time to get to work, change (if needed), and have a snack.
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Only work as much as you need to. Figure out how much money you need each month in order to pay your bills and other expenses, then calculate how much money you will earn from your job. Try to get enough hours to cover your expenses, but be careful not to overwork yourself either.^{[3]
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- Keep in mind that you might end up working more/less based on the store's seasonal needs.
- If you have high living costs or children, you won’t have as much freedom when it comes to working flexible hours.
- If you have to work a lot, make the most of your time at school, and try setting aside a block periodically to take care of school work on the weekends.
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3
Capitalize on break time. Rather than spending your break time at work idly texting or talking with coworkers, crack open a textbook while you eat your lunch. You’d be surprised how much reading and note-taking you can accomplish in 15- to 30-minute intervals, and every little bit helps.^{[4]
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- Get a little extra studying in at any point that you have downtime and are tempted to squander it.
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Make sure school comes first. While working is essential, it’s important to remember that school is preparing you to build your future. College isn’t cheap, so don’t let that time and expense go to waste—whenever you’re presented with a choice, your education should come first. Chances are, the job you’re working to help put you through school is not the one you plan on having once you graduate, so keep your endgame in mind and buckle down on the scholastic front. You’ll be glad you did.^{[5]
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- Remind your boss that you’re not available to work overtime if it will interfere with studying.
- If you don’t manage your class workload and maintain the grades you need to succeed, you may have to repeat a section, which just means time, effort and money down the drain.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Acing Your Studies

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Pay attention. Stay focused in class and make an effort to learn the material you’re studying as it’s being taught to you. It sounds obvious, but many busy, stressed students let their minds wander during lectures or concentrate too much on taking notes, thinking they’ll study on their own time later, only to eventually be faced with a mountain of ideas with no context for learning. Follow along with lessons and try to absorb as much knowledge as you can. The less time you spend cramming and deciphering pages of notes later, the more time you’ll have to devote to working and studying for your other classes.^{[6]
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- If the material you’re presented in a lecture is particularly dense, ask your professor for permission to record the lesson. Most professors are fine with students making an audio recording of a lecture to help them keep up, or make their presentation notes available for review online via the school’s website.^{[7]
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- Pick up some shorthand techniques to help you jot down notes faster and more efficiently. This can save you a lot of time writing and reading and prevent you from getting behind.
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Schedule a designated study time. If your schedule is consistent enough, carve out a period to study at the same time every day. This can be as little as an hour in the morning, afternoon or evening as your timetable allows, but use this time solely for the purpose of studying and completing homework assignments. Studying is a habit, like anything else, so get into the habit of planning study sessions so that you’re not stuck desperately stealing snatches of time later on.^{[8]
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- Growing research suggests that retention and comprehension drop significantly after the first hour of studying. Take this into account when scheduling your study sessions so that you don't burn yourself out and end up wasting time retreading the same material over and over again. If possible, cycle between different course material for an hour at a time.^{[10]
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- If your schedule allows, pick a regular study time that corresponds to when you’re feeling most productive. Some people enjoy working first thing in the morning, while others feel they get the most done before bed.^{[11]
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  Jai Flicker
  Academic Tutor
  Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.}
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Make sure you're studying the appropriate amount. Come up with a system to help you allot the appropriate amount of study time for your various classes. For instance, many college professors and advising experts recommend that students spend around two hours studying for every credit hour that a course is worth; if you're enrolled in a course worth three credit hours, that's six hours of studying for that course over the span of the week. You might also devise a ranking of your classes based on how difficult they are for you, and distribute your time so that you're able to study more for the classes that give you the most trouble.^{[12]
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- Take care of complicated projects and assignments that are worth a larger percentage of your grade first to ensure that you maintain your grade point average.
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Cut out distractions. Put away the smartphone or tablet, turn off the TV and, unless it’s for homework, unplug the laptop. You need uninterrupted time to get into a “flow state” while you study in order to maximize how much you’re able to get done. Mute, unplug, block or shut off as many distractions as it takes for you to be productive. Netflix can wait, and your Facebook notifications will be there once you’re finished.^{[13]
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- Focusing is a skill. As ubiquitous distractions cause attention spans to get shorter, it becomes easy to lose the ability to focus. Work on developing this skill and applying it when it’s time to take care of business.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Taking Care of Yourself

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Get enough sleep. It can be hard to do when you’re already pushed for time, but sleep is non-negotiable when it comes to feeling and being your best. Aim to get a minimum of 5 hours per night; 6-8 is ideal for the young and the constantly busy. You may have to sacrifice other uses of your time, like unwinding in front of the TV, in order to get the sleep you need. Consider this a bodily necessity, the same as eating and drinking.^{[15]
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- Take a short nap sometime during the day if your schedule doesn’t allow you to sleep through the night. 15-20 minutes may be all the you need to refresh your mind and body.^{[16]
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Don’t skip meals. Since you’re constantly on the move from school to work and back, you should be fueling your body to keep up with the demands you place on it. All too often, busy people convince themselves that they “don’t have time to eat,” and as a result they feel sluggish, fatigued and unmotivated. Get at least two solid meals a day, and snack to keep energy levels up when you have the opportunity.^{[17]
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Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public
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- Pack a lunch or a light snack that you can take with you to school or work so you don’t go hungry.
- Doing meal prep in large batches at the beginning of the week and refrigerating it will save you a lot of time preparing and cooking food later on, especially in the mornings when time is short.^{[18]
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- Don’t overlook the importance of staying hydrated. Water nourishes all the cells in your body, including the brain, so if you’re feeling drained after a long shift or study session, stop and take a few deep gulps.^{[19]
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  FamilyDoctor.org
  Family-focused medical advice site run by the American Academy of Family Doctors
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Find some social time. If your schedule allows it, make some time every week to get together with friends or spend some time with your family. Many students make the mistake of allotting too much time for socializing while they’re in school, but a little face time with the people you care about can be great stress relief and give you a welcome break from the grind every once in awhile. Plan a coffee date with a friend for the weekend, or use a Friday night to go see a movie if you’re not working. Social time can be a big morale boost and leave you feeling recharged and ready to dive back into your duties.^{[20]
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- Socialize moderately. Spare as much time from working and studying as you can to enjoy yourself, but don’t make it a top priority. Once your important work is done, then you can let your hair down and hang out with your friends.
- Avoid excessive partying. Not only does it eat into your valuable time, it can often leave you feeling tired and less prepared to deal with the following day’s work.
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De-stress constructively. Find positive ways to alleviate stress when you start feeling overwhelmed. Take a bubble bath, exercise or meditate instead of having a drink at the end of a long day. Use a day planner or notebook to help you keep track of what needs to be done so you can relieve your mind of some of the burden. Even something as small as cooking a nice meal for yourself can help you re-center and blow off steam. Stress destroys your well being as it accumulates, so give yourself a way to get free of it.^{[21]
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- Regular exercise promotes the circulation of endorphins in the bloodstream, which can cut stress, improve your mood and even enhance your body’s metabolism, giving you more energy and keeping you from burning out.^{[22]
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- Take a few minutes of quiet time before bed every night to shut off all electronic devices and relax. Too much sensory stimuli can make it difficult to fall asleep, so turn the lights down low, stretch out and let your brain breathe after a hard day.^{[23]
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Ask for help. If you just can’t keep up with your coursework or you’re putting in too many hours at your job, talk to your manager or professors. There’s no shame in asking for help. See if there’s any part of your curriculum or work schedule that can be simplified to accommodate your numerous obligations. There’s a big difference between expecting special treatment and asking for a little aid or guidance. In all likelihood, your boss or teacher will be happy to work with you when they see how much you’re balancing in your life.^{[24]
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- Ask your professor in advance to grant you a small deadline extension on an assignment if you don’t think you’ll be able to finish it in time.
- If you work a sales or service job, consider swapping shifts with a coworker to strategize your academic productivity.

Expert Q&A

Question

What time management strategy can help you be successful in your schoolwork?

Jai Flicker
Academic Tutor
Jai Flicker is an Academic Tutor and the CEO and Founder of Lifeworks Learning Center, a San Francisco Bay Area-based business focused on providing tutoring, parental support, test preparation, college essay writing help, and psychoeducational evaluations to help students transform their attitude toward learning. Jai has over 20 years of experience in the education management industry. He holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of California, San Diego.

Jai Flicker

Academic Tutor

Expert Answer

The most effective time management practice is portioning your time and knowing what’s most important to do when—a regular schedule can provide a dependable structure to help you accomplish daily tasks on time.
Question

How should I organize my schedule as a working student?

Jai Flicker
Academic Tutor
Jai Flicker is an Academic Tutor and the CEO and Founder of Lifeworks Learning Center, a San Francisco Bay Area-based business focused on providing tutoring, parental support, test preparation, college essay writing help, and psychoeducational evaluations to help students transform their attitude toward learning. Jai has over 20 years of experience in the education management industry. He holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of California, San Diego.

Jai Flicker

Academic Tutor

Expert Answer

Try to think about it in terms of what is the best schedule for you specifically. I think it's often overlooked how easy it is for people to know what a good schedule is for them. Some people would rather do their work first thing in the morning, or before dinner, or right after school. Think about an ideal schedule for yourself as an individual.

Warnings

Be careful about using caffeine and other stimulants to stay awake and focused. This can interfere with your ability to sleep, among other things, like worsening stress and anxiety. Get as much of your energy as you can from fresh food and keep stimulant use minimal.

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Know your limits. Don’t try to take more classes than you can handle at a given time while also working.

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