In order to do exceptionally well and stand out among our classmates and colleagues in such a profession, coupling work and study together is not at all a simple challenge. I, for one, coupled both together in order to survive and as well as pay my tuition fees.
Combining work and study requires a person with the ability to work smart. Working smart doesn't mean you'll be unsure of how you handle each one; rather, it means you'll be able to multitask, manage your time, stay committed, and ultimately remain relevant in both as you work towards making the rest of your life the best of your existence.
When I was an undergraduate, I used to serve as both a caterer and a waiter at various ceremonies and events that took place around my institution and the surrounding area. When this wasn't sufficient to cover all of my expenses, I decided to join forces with other established caterers nearby, and through that connection we were able to secure jobs that allowed us to travel to various states across the country.
Traveling outside of the school environment while in school is a surefire way to fail, as most lecturers track attendance during each class and may even hold impromptu tests that are crucial to our academic performance. However, one of the things that helped me get through all of this is listed below.
WORKING SMART
- Ability to multitask: Being able to multitask is one of the key requirements for working smart because it gives you the chance to excel in both fields you combine them with. For instance, when I worked in catering, I always made sure to bring my schoolbooks with me when I traveled.
By doing this, whenever I have free time at work after cooking and doing the dishes, I attempt to read and make sure I absorb new information from what we've been taught in school.
- Inform your school authorities about your schedule: Like I said earlier, lecturers can decide to fix impromptu test and usually take attendance during each lecture, but one of the things that helped me was that I try to speak with my department HOD and other people in my institution, and them knowing that I'm the one sponsoring my academic make the speak with the lectures to be fair with me should in case I miss the test or don't attend most lectures, and with that in place I get to do my test each time I'm chance and around the school.
- Make serious friends: Since I usually miss lectures, certainly no lecturer will lecture me specially, but having serious and academically sounds friends aid my growth and success academically, because he usually attend lectures, so I can easily borrow their note to write the ones I've missed, and I can as well ask for concerts explaination for anyone I didn't understand from them.
- Identify your weaknesses and strengths: In other to excel in both field, it's important to understand our weaknesses and strengths, and these really helped me alot academically, For example most of my friends usually sleep and wake-up in the midnight to read during exam period, but on several occasions that I joined them I doing such, I realize I couldn't assimilate much, so I studied my nature and realize I tend to assimilate more whenever I read before sleeping, but waking up to read usually render my efforts and time useless.
These and many more I believe will aid those we plan on walking on the same path of coupling studies with work, and I can boldly say this because it was worked perfectly well for me, and it's my prayer that we'll all excel in all our endeavours.
This article was inspired by the hive learners community feature topic that talks about combining study and work together and how to excel while doing both, you can read @kronias post to understand and get details related to the topic.
