Balancing School and Work is Do-able: Here’s How!

I began to think about getting my Master’s degree right after my undergrad. My plan was to earn it after a couple of years of working. However, this turned out to be longer than expected because I completed my undergrad in 2014 and found it hard to find a job as a fresh college graduate. I eventually found my way in a professional career in Public Health. I worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a fellow and went into healthcare quality and analytics. A few years into my career, I saw an advertisement for UoPeople in a magazine at my local gym!

I was drawn by UoPeople’s mission of tuition-free higher education. I really embraced that purpose and wanted to become a part of it. Attending UoPeople was also attractive to me because they emphasize flexible school work hours. This approach fit in perfectly in my life as it was never my intention to leave my career while I was going to school. Even as an undergrad I worked during the day, and attended my courses at night–so this was the right fit for me.

During my first term at UoPeople, I was surprised at how fast-paced the courses were. I basically had one week to get organized before I dove straight into the curriculum! Luckily, the course schedule was laid out in an organized way, so I was able to manage. In terms of balancing school and work, it was challenging, but I knew it was doable. I had been at my job long enough that I understood the work and luckily my employers also knew that I was going to school and were supportive.

At UoPeople, You Work on Your Own Time

UoPeople made it convenient to let me finish my projects and assignments on my own time. In addition to the actual courses, engaging with the students in the forum made me learn much faster than  I would have managed to do if left entirely on my own. Having the support of peers from around the globe and learning about their perspectives on all sorts of information gave me a good frame of reference.

For those looking to earn a degree while still employed and/or taking care of family, here is some advice based on my personal experience. These tips and tricks will help you earn a degree and upskill while still being able to pay your bills every month:

Get Organized!

My chief advice on balancing school, family, and employment would be to have an organized schedule. If your job follows a strict schedule, then you must follow it, but notice and utilize whatever flexibility your workday offers. If you can carve out a block of time to complete your schoolwork, then do it. For me, this was done in the evenings after dinner and the majority of my weekends.

Communicate Boundaries

If you are able to ask your employer to flex your time or change your schedule, then I would advise to do that as well—this is only if you have an assignment on a tight deadline or need to correspond to group assignments during the day. In regards to balancing social life/family, I would suggest you take the initiative to have an open and honest conversation with your close friends and family that attending school is going to take up a chunk of your time. If you have a family with kids, engage in a few conversations with your partner about who would take up responsibility for what. Communicate boundaries and what would be a reasonable amount of time to spend on schoolwork, with the family, and other obligatory duties you have in your life.

Taking on schoolwork is a commitment and those around you will need to be aware of your schedule to coordinate with you, particularly if it’s those that factor into your livelihood.

Be Patient

My last advice is to be okay with letting some of your priorities drop. You may try to juggle three balls in the air, but be fine if two of them fall. No one is perfect, and getting used to doing the schoolwork, particularly remote, online learning, is going to take extra effort.   Aside from learning about your major, you may learn some things about yourself along the way. Be patient with yourself for learning at the pace that you are going.

Continuing to Chase My Dreams!

I graduated from UoPeople with my MBA in 2019. After I obtained my degree, I left the company I was working at for a larger and more prestigious company as it offered me the role I wanted. Even though the new job was a similar position in the same field, the degree allowed me to gain promotion from working in a smaller company to a much larger enterprise. I apply my MBA schooling in my work to establish business processes and improve healthcare quality measures through evidence-based, data-driven consulting. The curriculum prepared me for leveraging with end-users and consumers, driving results through effective project management, and using quality data to navigate strategic decision management.

I am also using my MBA in several other ways. I use the skills I learned during my time at UoPeople, such as marketing management and operations, to promote my website and blog. It is a versatile major to apply in any situation and anywhere in the world!

About the Author:

Theresa Y. pioneers healthcare quality at a Fortune 500 company (Anthem, Inc.). She is also a wellness blogger that covers health topics including but not limited to: mental wellness and meditation, navigating healthcare, preventative care, fitness, and more. For strategies on balancing work and school or inquires regarding her background, you can contact her on her website at www.healthinology.com or email her at theresa.yu@healthinology.com.