work and going back to school

TayPat24

I am going back to college starting in January and I am working as well. Right now I'm just working
and I am having a hard time getting back on track. I really need help with ways to be able to stay on
track as well as finding time to work out as well. How do you guys do it?

lsegatti

Planning ahead and time management. I work out what meals I will make and cook heavily over the weekends when I am doing laundry, reading textbooks, writing papers. So a whole chicken becomes dinner, soup and broken out into lunch salad portions before it even gets put away in the frig.

Working out is my gift to myself, usually 45 minutes 3 to 5 times a week, every week it a bit different and I do it when I can.

Best of luck in your college endeavors and continued success in other aspects as well!

Pixi_Rex

I don't anymore as I am done school but I used to park as far as I could away from where I was going and then walked, add the back pack with all my books, my laptop and my lunch and i got a fairly decent work out - I also used to park at the top of the parking structure and used the stairs in the summer, and in the winter I would park in the farthest underground parking place and walk across campus. Not sure if that is an option but it worked well for me.

I never used elevators either - my university was rather large and had a lot of old building with lots of stairs, I would use those stairs to my advantage.

I also packed my lunch that way I wasn't tempted to eat out every day - and I allowed myself one meal that I would buy every 2 weeks. And I made sure my snacks were packed as well. It worked well for me when I was in school I actually lost 20 pounds... unfortunatly when I finished I got a desk job and gained those 20 back and then some because I got lazy.

k8eekins

Hi Eravia. My sister and I study (law), trade and workout in our early am and at night, after dinner. It's a pain, but to do it - we'd timetabled our daily - weekly schedules.

You have to get down to the basics. How long will you allow yourself to sleep? Your assignments/studying time and reading time allotments. Tutorial preparations. Eating durations throughout the day. Your use of the bathroom - the breaks - the showers - the #2s - etc.

For us it's work and attending classes. For you - you need to consider on which days you attend classes, how long it takes you to get there and back.

The 24 hours needs to be managed - micro managed to the micro minute. Boyfriend time - and they demand a huge chunk of it. That's where you'll need to be smart. If you can schedule dating time alongside a sport's meet he loves, then you can multitask - where you are there with him, but you can be studying at the same time - and he wouldn't know - he'll be too distracted.

TayPat24

thank you both, I really need to get into it. Before I started working I was doing really well but have really let it slip since I started working and now im scared that it will only get worse.

laurenmcallister

In school FT, working 2 PT jobs and my life basically consists of school, school, school, work, work, working out, and sleep. There is NO easy way to do it, and I turn down a LOT of social invitations. The best thing I've done for myself is stop drinking, because that's HUGE calorie saver. It sucks to feel guilty about the odd cooler or glass of wine, but I'm finished school in a WEEK, and it's been worth it to lose my excess pudge and get in FT with the job I love.

Good luck!

ETA: Like others, I also pre-plan (and often pre-log) my meals so I know what they'll be. And I check my sched every night to see where I can fit the gym in the next day. Keep a buddy that you don't get mad at who gives you some tough love (e.g. NOT a boyfriend or mother for most people!!).

k8eekins

thank you both, I really need to get into it. Before I started working I was doing really well but have really let it slip since I started working and now im scared that it will only get worse.

I still remember my early days at Law School back in England at your age, just starting out, well away from home and family, adjusting to the cultural differences and working too to boot. It is a challenge, but it comes with a whole lot of personal sacrifices - like sleep for one, where you'll need to play catchup in that department, if there is a free day from classes and work.

Whatever you do - do not give up! And if you're finding difficulty - never hesitate to seek direct counsel from within the limitations of your College's resources. Lauren is correct@turning down social invitations and abstaining from alcohol.

algebravoodoo

Looking back, I have no idea how I survived college. Did a double major (BS Mathematics and BA German) in three years. Fortunately, the only job I held at that time was likely the cushiest work study around... tending the language department's computer lab.

Grad school was a different matter! I was also working as a TA and time management was a challenge.It felt like I lived in the grad student office and/or the university library! I wrote some of my best papers while running. My mind could just focus on the rhythm of my feet and words would flow. I'd keep a notebook on top of my car and stop every so often to jot things down, grab a sip of water. That helped me not feel like I was "wasting" time when I should have been studying.

katmix

I am going back to college starting in January and I am working as well. Right now I'm just working
and I am having a hard time getting back on track. I really need help with ways to be able to stay on
track as well as finding time to work out as well. How do you guys do it?

First of all, good for you! Going to school and working full-time is not easy...many of us (myself included) have done it...and I did it with small children (which is REALLY tough!)

I will confess that when I was going to school that I was more focused on just having something to eat - and not as concerned that it would fit with a healthy diet, so I ate lots of PB and Jelly sandwiches. Needless to say, I gained... Probably drinking lots of coffee with cream to help with sleep deprivation didn't help any.

If you are able to plan healthy meals in advance, I recommend it. Don't be afraid to make a healthy casserole or other healthy meal in a large quantity and either portion out your meals for a few days in advance - or freeze them in Tupperware or Rubbermaid containers that can be microwaved. Obviously, if you don't have access to a microwave at school to heat your meal up - that poses issues. In which case, I would recommend planning sandwiches for the week (in advance) and making sure that you have healthy snacks such as cut up veggies and nuts for when you are stressed out and need to put something in your mouth. I bought a skinny thermos that fit in my handbag when I was in school, and was able to take hot water (pack teabags) or coffee to help save on $$...

This will be a hectic time of your life...and so I won't say enjoy it because while there will be parts that you will love, there will be tears, too. Don't be afraid to ask friends and family (if you have them near) to help however they can. Can you stop over for a meal once a week? What I will say is that all too quickly you will be through and will look back on amazement at how you survived, and found ways to make do. Also, once you have that degree in hand, you most likely will get a better paying job (I did!) and no longer have to eat cheaply.

Some other cheap meal ideas:

Split peas make a delicious soup with just the tiniest remnants of ham
Chili beans can be made into chili with a little bit of hamburger and tomatoes - or can be vegetarian
Rice (I shop in bulk and make my own mix of brown and wild) is a staple that we eat with pork, beef and chicken
Potatoes can be made into wonderful soup with a cheap package of bacon, an onion and a large can of cream of mushroom soup
Get used to thinking most protein bang for your buck
Buy cheapest fruits and veggies...we eat bananas daily because they are cheap. Would we love peaches and grapes? Of course, but we only buy the cheapest... Likewise, we eat lots of broccoli and carrots...

Get used to cooking in bulk and discover that leftovers are your best friend! To this day (after learning to we learned to live on casseroles) I still cook in bulk and only cook once or twice per week. (Obviously, cooking is not my *thing* and I'd rather spend my time doing other things I love. For those that have the time and *love* of cooking, this would look very different.)

Best wishes! You CAN do this! (Also, I found that the more people I told about my schooling, the more people I had to hold myself accountable, and when the going got rough - and it will get rough - I couldn't just drop out, because I couldn't disappoint people)...so plan to give MFP friends monthly updates on how school is going. :flowerforyou:

Sharonks

I only work 24-30 hours a week and take 15 quarter credit hours online. Online cuts out commute time which helps since for me that would be a minimum of an hour a day if I went to the expensive private college. The nearest public would be about 3 or 4 hours a day commute. One of my state universities offers fully online degrees!

When I went to school on campus I would use stairs, park far out, walk during breaks etc. I also was required to take some PE credits so that was a great way to get my exercise in. I always packed my lunch and snacks so I could control what I ate. I prelogged the night before as I was packing. I only went 2 days a week but I left the house at about 6:30 or 7 and returned at about 8 at night so it was a long day with lots of planning.

Now I get up at 5 every morning, workout for an hourish depending on what is going on. Out the door at 7 on work days. Sometimes manage a walk during lunch. I pack a sandwich or other handheld stuff so I can walk and eat. Get home between 5 and 6 depending on the day and what else I need to do on the way home. I have a treadmill and often read my assignments while walking at 2.5 mph. Yesterday I had to read a lot and walked for 3 hours. They even make treadmills with desks! Most nights I get in bed at 8, watch about 1/2 hr of tv (since at this point I'm sick of reading) and go to sleep. Plenty of sleep is important.

I try to keep the same schedule everyday whether I work or not, whether it is a weekend or not. We only have 2 teens left at home so I pretty much put all cooking and housework on hubs and help out as I have time. If I need a break from studying I get up and vacuum or do a few dishes.

Gotta go take a final now. It is so worth going back to school. Don't wait forever like I did (I'm 47).

MyOwnSunshine

Plan, plan, plan. Know when you're working, when you're doing homework, when you're working out and when you're shopping/cooking healthy stuff. Plan ahead and pack your lunches.

I work full-time, go to school half-time, have a 6-year-old daughter, and keep my house relatively clean and running smoothly most of the time. It is busy, but it can be done. You just have to use your time in a purposeful manner.

vadarvs

I worked full time, went to school full time and both of my kids were involved in basketball, so that meant practice at least twice a week and games every Saturday. Since my evenings were booked, I went to the gym before work, everyday, and took the weekends off. My weekends I spent catching up with any homework I didn't get done through the week and cleaned the house. Looking back, I'm not sure how I held it all together, but trust me, it's possible. Just make the time for yourself, it's worth it. You are worth it.