Work/School Full Time and friends

[BadBeat]

Well, I am a Biology/Pre-med major that hasn't been to school in 2 years... Had to leave for a few legal troubles in the past.

I finally re-enrolled and am starting Aug. 21.

Problem is, I am out on my own, and to maintain survival, I gotta work full-time... 40 hours a week.

Now, being that I was in school before, I have 85 hours completed, which means I'm not going into any basic courses.

Calculus
Organic Chem 2
Adv. Expository Writing
Parasitology

That isn't your usual easy course load... it's 14 hours.

Is there any one out there that works full-time and does school full-time, and is actually successful?

On top of all that, my friends are important to me. Not because of drugs or drinking (although I do like to hit up the bars), but because they are just very good people that care for me and who I enjoy being around.

I just feel like I am gonna have to alienate everyone from my life in order to do well in school.

Any suggestions? Stories? Similar situations?

 

[fizzygirl]

Tons of people work full-time (or extended part-time), go to school full-time, and pull it off well. It just takes dedication, and if you're willing to make sure you get things done, you can do it.

14 hours is actually a normal course load. The 12 that they often recommend won't actually get you out of school in 4 years, so people really should try to go above that when they can. What's more concerning about the course load is the difficult classes put together, but I still have faith that you can do it.

The biggest thing is scheduling. You know when you have to work, and when your classes are. Beyond that you need to pencil in the time that you'll set aside to study and take care of your classwork. If you've got any time before or between your classes, try to get a lot of your studying/homework done then. You'd be amazed at how many random bits of time you have just waiting for other things, and having spaced studying is actually better than a big session of studying all at once. Don't make plans for friends/activities the night before an exam or major project. Give yourself time to relax and feel ready and prepared. Do, however, give yourself days off from studying, and if you can make those days coincide with days off from work, even better! Definitely keep up with your friends, because you're going to need a way to relax and chill out, and that's what friends are there for.

Good luck!

 

[x2stpsfrmnowhere]

Yeah it's not too hard if your determined. I've worked midnights full time all 3 years I've been in school, and will do the same in my upcoming 4th year. It can be challenging, I know for the most part I alienate everyone(especially in the last 3 weeks of class). My last semester I didn't answer my phone for the last 2 months of class, and ended up with 40 some un-heard messages. It sucks but whatever school is more important cuz I need it to get some where, and work is more important cuz I need to pay rent.

 

[xena]

during undergrad i took 16-18 credits each semester, worked part time, and spent 3 days a week (at least 9:00-4:00 each day) in a public school as part of my course work. so basically 2 days a week i took classes for at least 12 hours each day. the other 3 days i was in a public school all day, then went straight to work all evening. since i was so busy during the week, i spent my entire weekend doing homework and preparing lesson plans. my social life consisted of seeing some friends for maybe 1-2 hours a week... then it was back to work.

i'm working towards my masters now. i take 6 credits a semester while working a 45+ hour week teaching. it's exhausting, but i'm determined.

honestly, sometimes i'm upset that i missed out on so much while i was SO focused on school. i missed out on so many memories and vacation opportunities. i missed my friends all the time. but truely, i'm happy that i made the decisions that i did because i'm 24, almost completely done with school, and i've been teaching, which is my passion.

if you're determined, organized, and have specific goals in mind, anything's possible. your friends will still be there when you're done with school. they should understand.

 

[sushii]

Over my first degree I studied full time but only worked 15-20 hours per week, which seems pretty standard here in Australia. After graduating I decided to go back and study something else, but I had a more permanent job that I wanted to hang on to so I made the decision to work (almost) full time as well as studying.

That was nearly four years ago, and although it's been stressful at times it's honestly not too bad. I'm at work 5 days one week, 6 days the next, averaging about 70 hours a fortnight (over two jobs).

The most important thing (for me, anyway) in doing this is planning ahead - particularly in regards to schoolwork. Make sure you start everything as soon as possible, and use any quiet periods to revise for exams ahead of time. Don't waste time, stay focussed, and be as healthy as you can. Regular exercise and eating well makes a huge difference to how you feel, and will boost concentration when you're stressed or burnt out. Also try and reward yourself in some way for achievements - completing a class, getting a certain mark, whatever it is you're aiming for. I never take drugs or drink (to excess) during semester because I just don't have the time, but I make up for it by going out occasionally in the semester breaks.

As far as friends go I've been pretty lucky - I've got a great group of really close friends who I still see fairly often as they live near me and are pretty flexible when it comes to deciding when and where to catch up. No matter how valuable school is to you, it's still important to make time to catch up with the people you care about, for the sake of both your friendships and your sanity. Although it sounds like you have a close relationship to your friends, so I'm sure they'll understand when you're not as available as you used to be.

Even though I enjoy my jobs (I'm not working purely for financial reasons - one day a week is voluntary) and I've done really well in my classes, I do regret the times I've made school my only priority and neglected other areas. I've missed out on a few things (mostly vacations with friends) that I wont get the chance to do again. I get the feeling that having focussed on this almost exclusively for four years now, in 20 years time I'll look back and wonder why on earth I was in such a rush to do everything at once.

Just remind yourself that whatever you're doing, it isn't going to be forever. And if it gets too hard, reduce your course load and study part-time. It makes a big difference.

 

[DG]

I worked full time 40-45 hours a week, went to school full time taking 15 credits one semester then 13 another. I quickly realized that being gone up from 6am-12 at night wasnt healthy to do over the course of the year. I was constantly moody, hungry because I didnt have time to eat, but I managed and I also managed to keep my grades up. Then the next semester I thought I would get a different job and work 50 hours a week but I was able to sit around doing almost nothing so I brought my homework to do there and studied and I did well so then I figured I could also party on weekends. That was the down part...I partied way too much, couldnt keep up with work and school and basically all around messed up. Luckily now I just go to school full time and do not work, is it better yes...but is it totally doable to work and attend school...most definitely. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[BadBeat]

Yeah, I've been trying to plan out how my days will work. I have a straight 4p-midnight schedule at work, and class goes from 9a-3p Mon-Friday with breaks in between.

So basically, i'm gone from 9am-midnight... but I got 2 days off a week at work

Here's the bittersweet part. My job offers tuition reimbursement, so if i DO maintain full-time, at the end of each semester they are gonna cut me a check for $2,000... free money. And that's just the first year, the second year, it's $2,500/semester.

Granted, I'd rather pass my classes than get the reimbursement, but still, that's a pretty hefty incentive.