Academic Success Proposal Final Draft

 This is the final draft of the first major assignment of the semester. This essay is an explanation of the struggles of being a fulltime worker and student and some of the possible solutions to that.

Nathan Humphrey

Ms. Nall

English Comp 2

10 February 2024

 

                                    The Struggle of a Working Student’s Schedule

In our academic landscape road bumps and struggles are not just a possibility but an expectation. Whether it be high school, an in-person university or an online class, everyone will face some kind of setback that goes against their academic success. One of my biggest struggles recently through taking online classes is trying to balance my adult schedule of working a full-time job, exercising consistently, and making sure I’m caught up with all of my classes and assignments. I feel that this is a very common issue for most students that are working alongside of taking classes and it can sometimes become very overwhelming.

So how do we push past this issue and get back on the best track academically? In my opinion the simplest way to balance my busy schedule with my academic needs is to plan far into the future and stick to a consistent schedule with the use of planners, calendars, and any other tools that allow me to build my schedule.

One of the biggest ways my success in my classes is impacted is losing track of time or seeing an assignment is due in 10 days and not realizing how much time has passed since. The best way to counter this issue I’ve found is to write all the important due dates that are provided to me by my instructors onto something physical that I can see every day whether it be a calendar or planner. From there it’s about being consistent in checking and crossing off all of my to-do items either early or on time. One article I read online, “4 Strategies for Balancing Work and School” said it best, “The further out you can plan, the easier it will be to create a suitable schedule” (Brady). Another key strategy from that article that goes along with planning is knowing how to optimize your time when you get to your assignments. Brady states, “Learn your capabilities, prioritize what’s important and then optimize your time so that you can give your all to both work and school”. Combining these two methods is essential for my success as a student and worker and should be used by every working student.

One final solution that can be used with the others already discussed is creating long term goals. Sometimes I find myself so caught up in the moment of doing schoolwork and then having to go to my job immediately afterwards that it becomes stressful and sometimes I end up asking myself is doing all this work even worth it? Taking a step back and seeing the big picture can help with those feelings. An article written by Baker college titled, “How to Balance Working Full-Time and Going to School” states, “Seeing what you’re working towards, written out in clear, easy-to-understand words, can provide a mental anchor for you to rally around”. Another blog post I read by Harvard Extension School had advice from alumni in which one of them, Elias Polcheira, said, “I took one course at a time. We tend to want immediate results from our invested efforts. The more courses you take, the earlier you will graduate. I had to learn that for someone in my position, with a full-time job and two children, I had to take one course at a time”.

To conclude, as hard as I find it to balance my life with work and school together, the solution is simple. Planning for the future with big due dates emphasized and taking the occasional step back whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed is key to my success as a student and as a person in general. Taking that step forward to try and elevate my education has proven tougher than I expected. However, with these techniques I’ve discovered, I believe that the road to that higher education has gotten a lot easier for me.

 

Works Cited

"How to balance working full-time and going to school" Baker.edu. 10 December 2020. How to Balance Working Full-Time and Going to School - Baker College  10 February 2024.

Brady, Kristen. “4 Strategies for Balancing Work and School” Herzing.edu. 12 November 2015. 4 Strategies for Balancing Work and School (herzing.edu)  10 February 2024.

“How Students Balance Full-Time Work and School” Extentsion.harvard.edu. 7 January 2019. How Students Balance Full-Time Work and School | Harvard Extension School 10 February 2024.