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At the end of the day, I would commute home, make dinner, help my kids with homework and, when they got to bed around 8 p.m., I would��spend at least an hour on school. Occasionally, I’d work early one weekend day to catch up, if I had a larger assignment.

Having a routine and communicating with my husband when I needed “school time” helped me a lot. We had to start getting our kids to bed earlier, which in turn, helped us all. I really tried to get as much schoolwork done during the week to keep my weekends free for sports activities with the kids.

I am currently pursuing a doctorate in management and can provide “real-time” experience!

I’ve worked full time my entire academic life. Each new degree program offered similar and new challenges based on time, job and family. My days are generally packed with different activities, and I must transition from work to college assignments literally and emotionally.

During my bachelor’s program,��I had school-age children and no real study tactics other than to get the work done whenever I could, which was anytime day or night. I worked on assignments during my lunch break and very early in the mornings when the children were sleeping. I also worked on assignments late at night.

My master’s program was very challenging. I made it a practice to get up very early in the morning and try to read for at least one-and-a-half hours before working out or getting ready for work. This early activity helped to mentally prepare me for my workday because I felt ahead of the game having studied early.

Today, the doctoral program is very challenging as it requires both old and new processes to complete assignments. My current program also requires heavy reading, which I now tackle in the evenings.

Ultimately, many best practices for how to study are discovered and developed during the educational journey. Each new program along my education journey helped me to develop a new study strategy or to perfect an old one.

I sometimes work out, then eat dinner before I start an assignment. Working out right after work helps me to destress if necessary and gives me a boost of energy to help me engage in classwork. Next, and my daughter taught me this, a quick nap (30 minutes to an hour) does wonders for the mind and body. Sometimes, just sitting in silence for an hour helps me to reflect on my day and to transition to classwork.

I do not think there is a one-size-fits-all tactic for which study strategies work best for each individual student. Over the years, my work/class assignment transition practices have changed based on my home environment. When I had small children, I could not take a nap directly after work. During those times, I basically made the transition from work to dinner to time with the kids to schoolwork, which was not always a smooth changeover.

One of the best hacks for juggling it all is to learn from your mistakes.

When I was working toward my bachelor’s degree, I was so focused on my studies, my family sometimes longed for my attention. I had returned to college after a 12-year absence, so I was determined to do well in my studies. I did not consider how much others would miss my lack of engagement while working full time, raising a family and attending college. Returning to college was a chance for me to live out my dream, but we must try to create a balance between family, work and school — and it can be done.

My daily routine varied depending on whether I had to work or I had the day off.

On a typical workday, I would start around 6:30 a.m. and finish around 5 p.m., getting home around 6 p.m. After a quick meal, I would return to my desk to work on my school projects until around 8:30 p.m. Then, I’d spend quality time with my wife talking, watching TV or relaxing.

When I had a day off, I would spend about eight hours working on my school projects while my wife was at work. If my wife were home, I would spend about four to five hours on my projects, so we had time to run errands, see a movie or enjoy dinner together.

The best hack for juggling multiple responsibilities involves two key factors. First, having a supportive and understanding family is crucial. My family, especially my wife, Star, was incredible and provided unwavering support throughout my academic journey.

Second,��being organized is an absolute necessity. As a student balancing family, working full time and school simultaneously, staying organized is vital to balance all the different aspects of life.

UOPX is committed to helping students reach their academic goals. In addition to offering��flexible online courses��that students can fit around their other commitments, the University features:

• Fixed tuition: When you enroll at UOPX, your tuition rate gets locked in until you graduate, making it easier to budget and plan. The University also offers credit for life and work experience, and it works with more than 5,000 accredited institutions to accept transfer credits toward degree programs.
• Skills-aligned programs: Courses have been designed around career-relevant skills so that with every 5 to 6 week course, students attain knowledge they can use immediately.
• Faculty with real-world experience: On average, instructors at UOPX bring 26 years of professional experience into the virtual classroom. This translates to learning opportunities that transcend theory to apply to practice.
• Career resources: In addition to a repository of templates and career guides, UOPX students enjoy career advisement services for life when they attend and graduate from the University.

Explore��more than 100 online programs��at ��ɫ��Ƶ that are aligned to upward of 300 careers!