Balancing School & Family

6 Steps to Get Guilt-Free Balancing School & Family

Going back to school can be a balancing act–between family, friends, health, and work commitments. Don’t drop the ball–watch the newest episode of SCItv:

When you’re working towards a better life for you and your family, there are a lot of balls in the air. You may be trying to find a job in your field or working part-time to pay for school while juggling family-time and your own health and well-being. It can be tough to balance all the important things you have going on.  But we got six tips to overthrowing the guilt and getting the support you need to be successful. I’m your host, Alison, community manager at Southern Careers Institute and this is SCItv. This week we’re getting over the guilt about getting educated while also keeping focus on our family needs.

Step 1: Guilt = Love

Let’s kick off by keeping in mind that guilt is love with a really annoying, nagging voice. Feeling guilty about going back to school is a totally normal thing. Your kids, friends, and family may have to see you a little less for a while, but it’s just temporary, and they will forgive you. Making a commitment to doing training towards a better future, it’s not just for you. It’s for your family too and your educational journey can be inspiration for not only your children, but your spouse and siblings, too.

Step 2: Go Online

There may be an opportunity to do your full-program or part of your curriculum online, which could give you additional flexibility. You can work on your own schedule. Ask your admissions representative or instructor if this is an option for your program.

Step 3: Keep your Family in the Loop

Communication is key when juggling life, family & school. Give your work and school schedule to the most important people in your life–your parents, your partner or your child’s parent, and your kid, too, if they’re old enough to understand. It’s a good chance they won’t’ even remember, but by all means they’ll feel the effects when you’re on a more stable career path.

Step 4: Take a Time Out

No, I don’t mean where you put your toddler when they’re rude to a stranger. More like the time out when your team needs to regroup and stop the clock. We tend to remember the needs of others we care about but often forget about our OWN needs. Your success is counting on you so take time to relax and recharge. 

Step 5: Set and See Goals

Establish realistic career goals, plans and expectations for what you’ll achieve after you graduate, then backtrack from there. Make appointments in a calendar app for your phone like Google Calendar and iCalendar and schedule test dates, work schedule, and review it the week before. This helps you Track your progress and know that there’s a finish line! Once you have your end-goals, print, write them down, and place sticky notes all over your house if you have to–somewhere you can see it daily. Multiple scientific studies have proven the power of thought in changing outcomes. When you observe your goal, and focus on it regularly, it is more likely to come true. This isn’t woo-woo, stuff, guys, this is science!

Step 6: Get Help by Asking for it.

Don’t assume that your family and friends will know the additional anxiety a full workload will be. Ask for help and distribute some of the responsibility where necessary to start balancing school and family. Remember that this period of your time in your life will eventually pass, and when you pass the last test and graduate, it will be worth it. You’ll be more organized and better equipped to handle your new career commitments! Did you enjoy this episode? Make sure you subscribe to our channel for more SCItv–relevant info from experts about the classroom, your career, and success-ever-after.