‘Successful adulting’ – coping with work and studies
Juggling studies and work can be difficult but following a clear strategy can lead to success.
Balancing the various priorities that fill your day is one of the greatest differences between studying as an adult and studying when you have just finished school.
Wendy Baumgartner of Monash South Africa’s Foundation Programme said students who have just finished school often only have their studies to focus on, whereas adults with full-time work commitments and/ or a family to take care of have more on their plates.
Here are a few tips from Wendy that adult students can use to establish clear strategies to succeed:
1. Make a time and a place that you can dedicate to your studies. This should allow you to work without interruption.
2. Find a balance between the various aspects of your life. The best way to do this is to not fill too many hours with unnecessary work. Work or studying can easily expand to fill any amount of time you allow, so you have to manage this, giving yourself enough time to work, study, relax, and do all the other things that are important to you.
3. If you do not understand, you should ask questions. Lecturers appreciate questions and enquiring minds. Understanding something now may mean the difference between passing or failing in future, so ask questions sooner rather than later.
4. Form a small study group with others. There is nothing more motivating than being on the same path as others. People have different skill sets and abilities, and members of your study group will help you gain a new perspective on your work.
5. Find a mentor that you can learn good habits from and whose input you value. It takes a lot of courage to find a good mentor, but this relationship will benefit you in years to come. The key is to find someone who is in a place in life that you admire, either from a personal or professional perspective.
6. Don’t fall behind with your studies, and make sure you keep up to date. Take time to check that your notes are updated and in order and make sense. The best way to do this is to use some time after lessons each day to go over that day’s work to be sure you have the work well summarised and in a form that you can revise from at a later stage.
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