The UK plays host to a wide variety of domestic as well as foreign students. A lot of students nowadays choose to work part-time while doing their studies. The two primary reasons behind this are that either they want to pay the bills or they want to gain experience. These part-time jobs enable the students to experience the practical world, which can turn out to be very beneficial down the line. However, many students find it very challenging to strike the right balance between part-time work and studies. So here are the top 10 tips on how to combine your part-time work and studies in the UK:

1. Create a well thought-out schedule

The first step towards striking the right balance between a part-time job and studies is to create a well thought-out schedule. You need to decide how much time you need for studies on a daily basis. Thereafter, you need to ensure that the schedule is implemented as well. This will ensure that you regularise your daily schedule and devote sufficient time to the tasks which are most important.

2. Pick flexible jobs

Picking a job that has a bit of flexibility is a crucial aspect if you wish to have a balanced life. You need to find a job that does not require your presence at set times simply because you need to take out time for studies, projects as well as exams. Being in a flexible part-time job can be a great advantage as it can allow you to alter your working hours depending on your requirements.

3. Work smart

Some people believe in working hard, but it is always better to work smart. You need to identify the tasks at work which are consuming too much of your time. Then you need to optimise the time taken to complete these tasks and devote the saved time elsewhere. Working smart will also help you in the long run as it will make you a more efficient professional in your career.

4. Avoid wasting time

There are a lot of activities that do not add any real value to your schedule. You need to weed these out. For instance, if you need to travel a lot in order to work, you need to cut down on this time and find a workplace that is in the vicinity of your residence. This will help you in cutting down on the unproductive travel time, and you can utilise this time elsewhere such as in doing assignments or in self-study.

5. Prioritise stuff

It is vital to prioritise things in order to have the right balance between your part-time work and your studies. The best way to do this is to create a daily checklist of stuff that you need to complete on a particular day. Then you need to identify which are the tasks that are important and which are the ones that are important as well as urgent. You need to prioritise these over the others.

6. Maintain personal health

A lot of students are so engaged in their work as well as their studies that they forget to maintain their own health. This can be a grave mistake since a decline in health can have serious consequences. If you fail to maintain your health, you might miss out on your part-time work as well as your studies, which can be a double blow. Thus, it is important to maintain your health. For this purpose, you can either look to exercise on a daily basis or take extra care of your diet. Additionally, getting the right amount of sleep is also crucial in order to maintain good health.

7. Take a break often

It is never a good idea to keep working or studying the entire day. You need to spend some leisure time as well. You could either develop a habit of reading or pursue any other hobby you might have. Alternatively, you could look to play a sport regularly since it can help you in remaining fit. Taking a break is the best way to refresh your mind and to also ensure that your motivation levels remain high. You could take a short break every couple of hours at work in order to unwind yourself.

8. Make use of technology

Technology can be your best companion in this day and age. You could make use of the latest technology in order to strike the right balance in your life. This can also help you in ensuring that you utilise every minute of your time. For example, if you need to make some payments or make purchases, you could do it online or by making use of an app. This will help you in saving the time the task would have consumed if you were to do it physically. Thus, technology can be of great help in organising your life.

9. Avoid overkill

Always try to avoid overkill and try to remain balanced. There are a lot of students who take up multiple part-time jobs in order to earn more. They believe that the more the earning, the better it is for time. But this comes at a personal cost. Overworking yourself can not only lead to exhaustion but can also have serious consequences for your studies. You might not be able to concentrate on your studies, and this may impact your grades. Thus, overworking yourself is never a good idea.

10. Do not procrastinate

If you are working in a part-time job and at the same time you are studying, try not to procrastinate too much. This is because work can often be unpredictable. If you have any upcoming deadlines in terms of assignments or group projects, you need to be prepared for them beforehand. Leaving things for the last minute can be risky because your work schedule might change or you might have to spend more time than usual while traveling. Thus, you should always try to avoid the practice of procrastination.

Author Bio

Ellie Richards is an online Marketing Manager for Original PhD. She specialises in research, content and article writing on various topics, including Education, Marketing, and Technology.