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The ultimate balancing act, working toward your master's degree while
The ultimate balancing act, working toward your master's degree while

August 10, 2021

Tips for Grads: The balancing act of working while pursuing your master's degree

Personal and Interpersonal Effectiveness
The ultimate balancing act, working toward your master’s degree while maintaining work and family obligations can feel overwhelming. Here are a few tips to better organize your time and balance your workload.
  • Plan ahead. Block out time throughout the week to focus on school, taking your full semester schedule into account. Write down your assignments, then create tasks to break down big deadlines into bite-sized chunks. Finally, consider taking time off from work before an exam so you don’t feel the need to cram.
  • Gather support. Talk to your family and friends, as well as your manager and coworkers, about your educational goals. Your support system is probably larger than you think, and you never know where you might find assistance.
  • Maximize efficiency. Whether it means listening to lectures on commutes, studying at lunchtime, or deleting social media apps from your phone, find ways to fit in schoolwork or study throughout the day.
  • Know when to say no. If there are obligations that you can drop, do it. Prioritizing your mental health is more important than taking on any unnecessary burdens.
  • Take a breather. Put on a meditation app, do a yoga pose, or take a five-minute walk. It doesn’t need to take a lot of time, but make sure to check in with yourself and breathe.
DiscoverPD: Your guide to professional development

Professional and Career Development: UW–Madison micro-courses

Want to sneak in some productivity before fall classes start up again? Check out these free online micro-courses from UW–Madison Libraries. With bite-sized courses in everything from data management and data sharing to intellectual property and copyright law, you can sharpen your professional and educational skills in no time.

Wellness: Daytime habits for better nighttime sleep

While most know the importance of sleep, not everyone realizes the path to a restful night often starts in the morning. When feasible, get up at the same time each day to regulate your internal clock, and spend some time throughout the day outside or in bright light. Maintain a healthy lifestyle by exercising daily, opting for fresh, healthy foods, drinking water, and limiting caffeine intake. Lowering stress levels is also important. Practicing meditation and yoga is a good way to do so. Finally, relax. You’ve got this.
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