There’s plenty of part-time job opportunities available for students in London, whether here at LSE or externally. Balancing professional commitments with academic work and your personal downtime is a great skill to have, but one that has to be practised. These tips will help you get started so you can strike that perfect balance at university – you’ll be well prepared for the working world in no time.
Planning
Start off with a clear scheduling system so that you can organise your commitments – whether it’s a daily, weekly or monthly overview. The more you can prepare in advance, the less stressed you’ll be in the future. It’s also a great way to improve your time management skills, as you have a better overview of what’s required and by when. University is full of busy periods, but also has plenty of downtime in between where you might have less assignments or commitments – use this time wisely to make sure that you can get ahead before another busy time hits!
Motivation
Once you have a clear picture of what needs to be done and what your daily routines look like with work and university, you need to find ways to keep yourself motivated throughout the week and bring your best self to both areas. A rewards-based system can be a great way to do this, giving you something fun to look forward to after finishing your work. Be realistic with how long you can keep yourself focused on a task before a reward – a short burst of half an hour to an hour is probably more effective than sitting at your desk for a whole morning. Plan fun outings with friends, catch up on that tv show or treat yourself to a nice coffee – whatever motivates you!
Time management
Life can get pretty busy when balancing both academic and professional deadlines, so brushing up on your time management skills is important in order for you to get everything done. For example, time blocking – splitting tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks and spending an allotted amount of time on them – is a useful way to tackle to-do lists and make sure your time is being allocated fairly to all areas. LSE LIFE has some great resources to help you divide your time and stay organised.
Self-care
It can be very easy to get consumed by your workload and end up overwhelmed or potentially burnt out as a result. This can easily happen if you don’t spend enough time and energy on self-care. Creating a positive work-life balance needs to include designated downtime for you to relax and rejuvenate before you restart with work. The LSE Student Wellbeing page has plenty of great ideas on how to prioritise self-care and your mental health, so that you can be your best self. Spending time with friends and loved ones is also a great way to recharge and take a break from the hustle and bustle of university life and work – don’t be afraid to reach out and schedule in some quality time.
As well as the tips outlined above, remember you can reach out to your professors or employers and let them know if you’re facing any issues with workload or meeting deadlines. Open and transparent communication is helpful for both sides, and can do wonders in creating a better work/life balance for you.