The beginning of fall is almost synonymous with back to school, and with back to school comes practice, early mornings, open houses, and all the chaos that arises with the start of a new school year.
If you’re balancing the start of the school year for yourself in addition to work and other obligations, you’re not alone. Jobs for the Future reports that adult learners make up almost one third of the postsecondary student population in the United States. That’s almost two million people trying to navigate the same challenge as you: pursuing professional development, continuing education, or an advanced degree while juggling all the commitments and responsibilities of adulthood.
Set yourself up for success this back-to-school season and equip yourself with these critical strategies:
Stakeholder communications isn’t just for the office. If you’re managing a full-time job alongside an adult learning plan, you are probably “reporting” to three main groups — your family, your supervisor or team, and your course instructor(s). Navigating three sets of expectations that probably conflict most of the time is a challenge for even the most skilled project managers.
Communicating clearly with the people in your life helps foster trust and set appropriate expectations. It also creates space for understanding and alignment. For example, your supervisor may be open to allowing you to carve out time for your coursework as part of your broader professional development goals. Or perhaps you can leverage a work project as part of a larger case study in school. Context and open communication can help you structure your schedule and your commitments across all key areas of your life..
Effective time management is essential when you’reTime balancing work, professional development and personal commitments. But there’s no single strategy that works for everyone. The key is to find an approach that fits your schedule, responsibilities and learning style.
Start by experimenting with different time-management strategies. For example, time blocking can help you set aside dedicated periods for work, coursework, and personal time. Digital tools such as Google calendar, Microsoft To Do, or Notion can also help you keep track of deadlines and break larger projects into more manageable tasks. Many of these tools are free, or offer free trials while you experiment with the platform that works best for you.
You might also find helpful resources available to you through the school you’re enrolled in. Academic advisors, student success teams, and other campus resources might offer workshops, coaching, or tools designed to help adult learners manage competing priorities.
Once you find a system that works for you, build it into your routine. Consider scheduling blocks for your coursework into your week at consistent times. Even a few focused hours of dedicated study time can add up.
And critically, you want to be protective of your time that isn’t devoted to work or school. A sustainable routine isn’t about fitting as much as you can into each day - it’s about making intentional choices about how you prioritize your time and energy.
Pursuing professional development while working, maintaining personal relationships, and managing daily responsibilities in a significant commitment. Making time for your own self-care is an important piece of a sustainable routine.
Self-care doesn’t have to mean adding another major task to your schedule. It might mean taking 10 minutes to walk or stretch between meetings, making time for a favorite hobby, or fighting the urge to scroll and going to bed early with a good book. Wellness apps like Headspace, Calm, or Insight Timer can provide guided meditations and mindfulness exercises, while free fitness apps like Boostcamp, Nike Training Club, and FitOn help make it possible to work out on a busy schedule. Apps like The Brick or Focus Friend can help you put down the phone and carve out space for other things.
Finally, give yourself some grace. You may find some weeks where you miss a deadline, feel like you’re falling behind, or struggle to keep all the balls in the air. Instead of viewing those moments as failures, take a step back and reassess what you need.
In stressful times, we typically look to our networks for support. Going back to school while working full time is no different. Communicate with your family or your supervisor if you’re experiencing an imbalance in your schedule, and remember that you’re not alone in your journey toward continued education. Even among fully online cohorts, you’re likely to find opportunities to engage with your instructors and peers. Take advantage of these new connections and the opportunity to expand your network.
Being an adult learner requires flexibility as much as planning. Give yourself permission to take the time to find what works for you, ask for support if you need it, and recognize the wins as they come. You don’t have to have everything perfectly balanced to make meaningful progress.