Going Back to School While Working: 5 Tips for Making It Work

Whether you are looking to advance your skill set, your current role or take on a new job position, going back to education can be an excellent option. The downside? School can be time consuming, experience and may conflict with your current job role. However, there are ways to further your education without breaking the bank or putting your career on hold. In this article, we will provide you with 5 tips to make going back to education happen while working. 

1. Think About Online Courses 

There are tons of courses and degree programs available online that are affordable and flexible with your work life. Online courses enable you to complete a course in your own time and work really well for those leading such busy lives. 

2. Does the Company You Work for Offer Payment Assistance?  

You should check to see if your employer offers any kind of assistance and reimbursement for employees planning to do courses. Financial assistance can be incredibly helpful for you and doing a course can be helpful to your employer. This is because the course will help you improve their current job position, prepare for future responsibilities, make a career change within the company or further prepare employees for leadership roles within the business. 

3. Keep Your Manager Updated & Informed 

You will require support from your manager. Therefore, ensure that you have a conversation with them about your strategy/plan. Start by explaining why you are returning to education and be open and honest and show how the business and your team will benefit when you earn your degree or qualification. Be prepared to discuss what your potential schedule will look like and how long you think it will take to receive your degree.  

If you believe your workload may impact your ability to complete your degree successfully, discuss the possibility of needing to reduce hours. Once you begin your course, keep your manager in the loop by letting them know what classes you are taking and how you are working on making an impact in your job.  

4. Make a Schedule and Stick to it 

Carve out time each week to focus strictly on your course work and stick to it. For example, if you know that you are going to spend around 12 hours per week on course, set aside 3 hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays and 6 hours on Saturdays. If you are not going to campus for your course, consider stopping by a coffee shop or library during this time to prevent you getting distracted or procrastinating.  

5. Use Real Life Examples in Your Work 

Ensure you connect school life to real life by integrating real work-related scenarios to your coursework. For example, for assignments, find processes in your organisation that you think can be improved and use that for your project. Once you have completed it, share your strategy and ideas with the appropriate people in your organisation and see if it can be put to good use.