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As an adult, you have a lot on your plate. Taking class while still working full time and/or raising a family can seem daunting. But, if your goal is to get your degree or to take a few classes to earn your next promotion, these tips are designed to make it a little easier.

Communicate

Life may feel like a juggling act while you balance your work like and your academic life. If you are working a full-time job, communicate with your employer early and often about your goal and your class schedule. Many employers will offer a little flexibility to take classes, especially in the days of online learning. You may be able to flex your schedule so that you can go into work early or stay after hours to make up time taken up by a class. On the other hand, you can look for classes offered in the evenings and on the weekends that won’t interfere with your 9-to-5. The key is communication – keep your supervisors in the loop.

Micro-Manage Your Time

Find small blocks of time in your day to carve out time for essential tasks that will help you succeed – don’t wait for big chunks of time to get things done. Sometimes it just takes a few minutes to email your academic advisor, review your class notes, edit an assignment, or read a few pages of the required reading. Get these tasks out of the way when you have micro amounts of time so that you can really focus on larger tasks when you have larger amounts of time to work with.

Prioritize

You know yourself – make the most of the time you have. If you know that you are more focused in the morning, make time to study, write papers, or knock out critical tasks when you are at your best. Save non-critical tasks for the times when you don’t need to use your full attention.

Make Steady Progress

You have heard it before, but it is still true today. Make time to study and complete homework every single day – don’t procrastinate and let things add up. It will add stress to your life to know that you have projects adding up. Try to carve out time, even if it is just 30-60 minutes each day.

Find Balance

There’s no question: taking classes is a time commitment, but getting your degree shouldn’t take over your life. Find time to do things you enjoy that don’t involve studying. Whether it’s gardening, spending time with the kids, cooking, or playing with your dog, these activities can recharge you, and help you find much-needed perspective.

Treat Yourself

Taking classes is hard work; don’t forget to treat yourself along the way. Celebrate the small victories – a great test grade, an “A” paper, an amazing internship opportunity – you deserve to take a moment to celebrate the times when your hard work truly pays off. Share your success with the family and friends in your corner, because they are rooting for you to succeed!

Thinking about heading back to school? Whether you are looking for short-term training opportunities or want to be a full-time student again, Iowa Valley can help! Both Marshalltown Community College and Ellsworth Community College provide degree programs with flexible class schedules. Let us help you achieve your goal – contact our admissions teams today to learn about options that will work for your life.