How I (try) to manage working and studying at the same time!
Dawn Mccartie - Programme Leader for the MBA programme
“How on earth am I meant to fit it all in?” “How can I complete my assignments, attend my lectures and tutorials and have a life too?”
“There just isn’t enough time for working, studying and living – it’s not fair, what is the point?”
Have any of those thoughts gone through your mind during your studies – either here at AFG or High School even? Have you ever just thought it is all too much and something is going to have to give? Or maybe wondered why you started something in the first place? If you have answered yes to any of those questions then guess what? You aren’t alone, I promise, I feel like that at least once a week.
Within this series of blogs, you have heard from various women within AFG College who have shared their thoughts on key areas of their lives to help you reflect on your lives and studies and what you do (and maybe want to do in the future); to provoke and challenge you and to hopefully, inspire you along the way. Last time, Dr Nadia Degama wrote passionately about the tug of war that she feels everyday trying to achieve this elusive work-life balance (if there actually is such a thing), and this time I am writing about something relating to this and very close to my heart and the life I live now, and one you too might empathize with – how to work full time whilst trying to study part-time.
As a 44-year-old, professional, successful and hardworking academic, mum and PhD student I get you – it’s hard work and sometimes, it just feels overwhelming. The key to success though is determination, perseverance and resilience. Yes, hard work and ability play a part but they are almost expected of us once we are enrolled in our courses, it’s the desire to succeed, the desire to be the best version of me that I can be, to get the qualification I strive for that drives me on despite the challenges I am facing.
It has been a long journey, one with a very clear destination but one that has taken me down lots of long roads, bumps and some dead ends. I first started my doctoral studies in 2012, yes you did read that right….2012 – 10 years ago. Fast forward to 2022 and I am still on this journey but now pursuing a PhD and more desperate than ever to find that finish line. It has been tough, with job changes, funding issues, a pandemic, an international move from the UK to Qatar, and a lot of self-doubts thrown in along the way. Then add in all the things that Dr Nadia talked about in her blog and all the responsibilities that being a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend brings PLUS all the things Dr Fiona Robson discussed in her blog where she described what we, as academics do when not in the classroom and you will see that I have a lot of other things that can easily get in the way of me sitting down and focusing on my studies. I am exhausted just thinking about it!
I wanted to become Dr Dawn by the time I was 40 – I didn’t achieve that, here I am, still going but I didn’t give in, despite wanting to at times. I can see the end of the road now, I can see that I will at some point in the next year or two stand on that Graduation stage and get the floppy hat I have worked so hard for, albeit a bit later than I envisaged. I thought within this blog that I would share my 5 top tips for those of you working FT and studying PT. How would I suggest you juggle all the commitments you have yet still achieve what you set out to? Clearly, I am no expert, but I have lots of experience over these last 10 years, hopefully some of these might help you if you find yourself in a similar position:
- Most importantly - stop being so hard on yourself – don’t beat yourself up for what you haven’t been able to do, focus on what you have done and what you are trying to achieve. You are good enough, your best is good enough, yes there will be times when your studying takes a back seat but you will be able to get back on track, you need to prioritise as best you can and when things are unexpected, like a pandemic come along, adjust your plans accordingly.
- Try to stop procrastinating – this is so hard to do but it’s the only way you will get things done and make some progress. Too much of my time is spent writing lists (which I swear by!), but then I rewrite them, talk to others about what I need to do when I will do it, how I will do it – but then I have wasted so much time talking and not actually done anything. Instead, stop, act, put pen to paper, start typing, get some words down and you will feel so much better. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and it will need reviewing and amending but the feeling of satisfaction that you have when you have actually done something tangible as opposed to just thinking about it is well worth it
- Time Management – the old favourite, but you do need to find a way to not only stop the procrastination but to allow you to have the time to do the work around all your other roles and commitments. Be honest with yourself though. If you have worked a full day how likely is it that you will come home and want to then spend a whole night studying? Are people depending on you to spend time with them? Do you need to do other things? If so then maybe, instead, just try a few hours, or look at your diary and see if you can put aside time on another day that isn’t as busy or on a weekend for a few hours. It is more productive to do a few hours than to pencil out a whole evening and then do nothing as you are so tired, you will sit and daydream and be unproductive
- Talk to your friends and family – we understand what Uni life is like but they might not. Explain to them when your deadlines are and what this will mean for what you can and can’t do at those times, ask for their support to help you and to allow you the time and space you need. Their support will make all the difference, without that, you will feel guilty about not being there with them and then not do the work you so need to do. They love you and want to support you – but they can only do that if they know what the challenges are that you are facing. Keeping everything to yourself will cause you further pressure and stress which won’t help you in the long run
- Keep the goal insight – in those dark moments, when you are tired and you are still working on an assignment with a deadline that is looming, remember why you are doing this. Think about the moment you get your marks back, the way you will make your family proud, the opportunities that will arise as a result of having gained the qualification and the fact that this won’t be forever. Once it is done you will never look back and regret working hard and putting in the effort and making the sacrifices that you have, you will only regret what you didn’t do
And for me, well a weekend of typing up some interviews and doing some data analysis – though not all weekend, family time too, remember it is all about balance…
Signing off as a future Dr Dawn!
Have any of those thoughts gone through your mind during your studies – either here at AFG or High School even? Have you ever just thought it is all too much and something is going to have to give? Or maybe wondered why you started something in the first place? If you have answered yes to any of those questions then guess what? You aren’t alone, I promise, I feel like that at least once a week.
