Adapting to working and studying? What makes the day easier? What is best for a good work-life balance? How do you maintain boundaries between your work life and study life? Becky Maye, CASSI PRO, explains how she balances work, life and study
Starting your career in accounting is an exciting journey but that does not mean it is without challenges.
Finding the right balance between work and study is something that can be difficult for many students. They must adapt their lifestyle to balance work and study. This requires effective time management, and often feels unattainable, but there are some tricks to help.
Reach out
No matter where you work, there will be many managers, mentors and colleagues who have gone through what you’re going through right now and can empathise with the experience.
Build up your relationship with these colleagues as the connections will provide support and guidance while you navigate work and study.
Similarly, many of your peers are sitting exams at the same time so lean on and hold each other accountable. When you work and study together, it makes the day and experience a bit easier.
Set your priorities
What makes for a good work-life balance? Everyone is different but there are some key themes among those who strike the balance successfully.
Start by being aware of everything you have happening and what you need to accomplish in any given week. Once you do this, it makes it a lot easier for you to plan accordingly.
Be careful not to overburden yourself and be ruthless with your time – it’s precious.
Once you have your plans set for a week, stick to the plan. If things need to change or move around, that’s okay, but make sure they don’t affect your priorities.
These priorities may also be different week-on-week. In the run-up to exams, your focus should be on studying, but post-exams, it could be time with friends and family or hobbies and extracurriculars.
It is worth noting that even in the run-up to exams, you shouldn’t feel guilty for socialising or having some time for enjoyment or rest. Studying can be a priority while still allowing yourself some time off to recharge and have some fun.
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance also involves finding a balance between work and study. It is crucial to ensure your studies and your work don’t merge into a single aspect of your life.
For many students, this time is often seen as an attempt to juggle both life and work, but it’s important to recognise study and work are fundamentally different and should be treated as such.
Establishing and maintaining clear boundaries between work, life and studies can make this balancing act much easier to manage.
Communicate study needs
While everyone wants to excel at work, it’s essential to remember that your time is valuable. If work hours begin to encroach on your study time, the only person who suffers is you.This is especially true when exams approach. It is important to have discussions with your mentor or managers about your study commitments to ensure everyone is on the same page and to avoid becoming overwhelmed with work.
Prioritise your health
Finally, it may seem obvious but you must prioritise your mental and physical health throughout these busy times. Make sure to eat well, exercise, and get enough sleep.
Remember you always have people to lean on for guidance if you need help. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your CASSI representatives, the education department at the Institute or the team at Thrive. They will be more than happy to help.
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