How to Study with a Full-Time Job: 5 Expert Tips for Success

Learning how to study with a full-time job can be a daunting task. However, with the right strategies and mindset, it’s entirely possible to excel in both realms simultaneously. Whether you’re aiming to advance in your career, switch fields, or simply enrich your knowledge, effective studying alongside a busy work schedule is achievable. Here are five expert tips to help you study with a full-time job in no time!

Why Should I Study With a Full-Time Job?

You might be asking yourself why you would study with a full-time job when it can be so complicated. After all, learning how to study with a full-time job requires a lot of discipline.

It’s true that studying and working at the same time is time-consuming and takes a lot of energy, but it can be really rewarding if you do it right! Imagine being able to hit two birds with one stone, you could be earning money AND working towards your career all at the same time.

In a way, it is actually a luxury to be able to work and study at the same time because the option isn’t there for everyone. Take me for example, I really wanted to study to be a teacher whilst working as a special educator in a school. Unfortunately, the course they were offering wasn’t available part-time, which meant that the only way for me to do the course was to quit my job. I obviously couldn’t afford to do that, which is why I didn’t go for the course.

I ended up losing an opportunity to earn money and further my career at the same time, so it was a real loss for me. For that reason, if you have the opportunity and energy to do both at once, go for it! There’s very little to lose and a lot to gain!

1. Create a Daily Planner

I feel like I write this tip down in practically every blog post I have here, but it’s for a good reason!

Have you ever heard of the Zeigarnik effect? This strange word is something that happens to most of us at least once in our lives! (In my case, it happens all the time!)

This happens when you start a task and don’t finish it, and end up spending all of your time thinking about it. For example, the last time I left my laundry in the washing machine and remembered whilst I was out. All day instead of properly enjoying myself whilst I was out, I ended up thinking about that laundry that I left in the machine!

Although it can be helpful because it can remind you to finish something you started, it also causes a lot of unnecessary clutter in your mind. This clutter can stop you from working on all of your tasks efficiently, which is a big no-no if you’re trying to learn how to study with a full-time job.

Your brain isn’t limitless, and the more thoughts you have in your head, the less memory you have for new things. For that reason, research shows that having a written plan (recording all of your assignments, work projects etc.) is a great way to allow the brain to fully focus on the task at hand. The less unfinished tasks, the more free space and the more effective your brain can work with all it has to do!

If you’d like to know exactly how to make a fantastic daily planner, click here to see my ultimate guide that’s helped loads of people!

2. Learn How To Prioritize Your Tasks

You’re working with a large work load if you’re studying with a full-time job, which means it’s very important that you’re able to prioritize which tasks hold the most importance.

First, you need to start by separating your work tasks and your study tasks. This is important because it will help you view them in two different categories, and you can better assess their priority that way.

After you do that, use three colors to show the importance of the task. For example, for very important you can use yellow, for moderately important you can use green, and for least important you can use blue. Look at one of the categories and highlight according to which tasks have closer deadlines as opposed to the others.

Once you have done this, you can move onto the next step! In your daily planner, place your most important tasks in the closest time slot. The idea is to try to finish two important tasks a day – one from each category (work/study), which is why I asked you to separate them into categories.

Then you can move on from your list of priorities and start to note the moderately important tasks, and then finally the least important tasks.

If you feel like two important tasks a day is too much, don’t worry – that’s the goal, not the finish line. There will be days where it’s harder to do what you planned and that’s okay! There is no need to pressure yourself, just move the task you didn’t manage into the next slot!

Try it out and let me know how it goes in the comments! Your journey to learning how to study with a full-time job isn’t over yet!

3. Break Down Your Tasks to Learn How to Study with a Full-Time Job

We’ve talked about creating a daily planner and prioritizing our tasks, but now it’s time to talk about the details of the task in the first place.

Sometimes a task can be very difficult to start because of the overwhelming amount of information and resources you might need. This can actually stop you from being efficient in the way you study/work, which we really want to avoid!

That’s why I always suggest breaking down the task into smaller and more manageable chunks. Once we do that, we can confidently finish our tasks in time!

The first step is to take your task and split it into different steps. Let’s say you’re working on writing an article for work, you can’t just jump into it and begin writing!

Since we’re using the example of an article, the first chunk would be research. Then in your second chunk, you can start planning the outline of your article and last but not least you can begin writing it! Can you see how splitting the task into smaller ones can help you target all the important parts of your task?

Learning how to study with a full-time job requires flexibility and trying out new things! Try it out, you definitely won’t regret it.

4. Make Sure Your Work Environment is Distraction Free

You’re working not only as a student but also as a full-time worker – that means your workspace needs to be as distraction-free as possible.

Distractions are all around us almost all the time. It’s hard to avoid nowadays, especially with all of the technology we use. For that reason, the first thing you need to do is remove your phone from your desk. Put it in a drawer, turn it on silent, and don’t look at it. It’s a big distraction and will usually stop you from doing what you need to.

If you’re using your laptop, make sure to close any windows that can be distracting and only allow yourself to use the apps you need. These are small steps but they make all the difference when you’re learning how to study with a full-time job for the first time!

Another important thing to note is to make sure you have enough natural light, which is usually more effective and efficient as opposed to artificial light. In fact, natural light is a great source of vitamin D and helps us be more productive and focused! All of these things may seem unimportant, but every detail is vital when learning how to study with a full-time job!

If you’d like a full guide on creating the ideal environment, click here to see my ultimate guide!

5. Make Sure You Use Self Care Methods to Study with a Full-Time Job

Last but not least is to make sure you’re taking care of yourself throughout all of this! If you expect to learn how to study with a full-time job and succeed, you need to ensure your own personal health!

With all the added work you have to your workload, it could take a toll on you. For this reason, having a self-care routine/techniques can make all the difference.

Things such as starting a facial care routine, journalling, and engaging in meditation are all great things that you can try to calm yourself down.

On days when you feel you’re too exhausted to work, listen to your body. The biggest and most important part of taking care of yourself is being in tune to both your body and your mind.

Remember, before you can take care of your work – you need to take care of your body and your mental head space!

Conclusion

Learning how to study with a full-time job requires dedication, discipline, and effective time management. By implementing these ten expert tips, you can navigate the challenges of balancing work and study commitments while achieving your academic and career goals. Remember to stay focused, stay organized, and above all, stay resilient on your journey towards success.