Does anyone study part-time whilst working full-time??

Question

I have completed my degree in psychology and now plan to go do my Masters next September part-time. Can anyone tell me what it's like to do this? Is it manageable? I know I will practically have no free time (this does not worry me), but what I am frightened of is, i'm not sure if i'm going to have the motivation to do uni work after being at work all day. Thus can I have some advice from people who work full-time and study part-time, like how you manage your time, and how you motivate yourself when feeling unmotivated.

Answer 1

I did my Masters while working full time. Sure there are times when work has to come first, but it really comes down to how much you reall want the degree.

You really can't be a time waster. I made use of all my "spare" time. Like carry books, notes wherever I went. I got a lot of reading done on planes and notes reviewed while waiting for an appointment or bus.

As far as motivation, I don't know. I paid cash in the registration line and I guess I didn't want to waste that much money. Whenever you pay cash, you realize how much something costs.

Answer 2

I did it working on a full time basis if you set yourself study time each evening and keep to it don't put off tomorrow what you can achieve today ?and that gives you a day and a night free ,you will manage and please study or you will be behind Evan an hour each evening and I found that after tea I would do this then have a soak in the tub and relax if need be I took a book to bed for half an hour and then get plenty of sleep to ensure I could cope at work ?you will be fine and take time out now and then to chill and relax you will get motivated as look at what you will achieve and get all your Christmas shopping first in the summer cards the lot you will be glad you did be organised take care and stop worrying and good luck

Answer 3

Tell you something. I had a wife, four children, a full time job, and I did an Open University course at the same time (got a First). Then I went on to do a 3 year diploma course in French. I also had to look after my mother who had cancer, she died, then I cared for my grandmother and great aunt until they died. What you have to do is organise every single minute of your day, forget about holidays, and just refuse to let anyone or anything interfere with that routine. I managed on four hours sleep a night. If you want to do it (or have to do it) then you will. Later I did a Masters, got through that, and started a PhD but after a year I was exhausted, so stopped it. But you can do it. I can't respond to your question about motivation because I never thought about it. I just HAD to get myself out of the position I was in, and education did it.

Answer 4

Much of this has to do with the type of work you do, and how flexible it will be during difficult periods of schooling (like exams). I am a university professor who got a law degree a few years ago while continuing to work full-time. Even though I was in an evening program and most of my classmates worked full-time, there was a broad disparity in what that meant. Some of my classmates were paralegals who were able to take days and even weeks off work during exam periods, while for me, exam periods were the busiest for my work as well as for school! On the other hand, I was able to schedule my teaching earlier in the day so that I could be assured of getting to class, which some of my classmates had a problem with (especially those who did not tell their employers that they were in law school so that the employers would not assume they intended to leave their jobs and fire them before they could do so).

It is possible. I teach in a part-time program, and most of our students manage well. It is tiring and stressful, but they keep their eye on the rewards and keep working.

Answer 5

I dont work full time but i work part time, and i also have a young daughter, and inbetween all this i study part time, a psychology degree too funnily enough. Anyway i do find it ok realy managing my time, my social life does suffer but i just tell myself that in order to succeed i need to study and apply myself, i force myself to just switch the tv , comp etc off and get on with it , Im so used to it now that its the norm and i also tell myself it is not forever , i will reap the benefits if i sow the seeds and all that, I guess mentaly encouraging myself every day does it for me . thingslike housework and social life etc do suffer, however they can be caught up with when i have a bit of free time , i seem to manage ok i get stressed out obv now and again but mostly i cope .

Answer 6

for me it was being competitive.. i was young 24-25, worked till 3:30 only and had to compete for grades with older, married women working till 5 every day and sometimes pregnant or taking care of little ones!!
so i thought me being demotivated is something foolish when compared.. they manged their time so i should do it too..
sure it will be tough for you but the feeling when you get the degree if phenomenal, especially after all the hard work :)

Answer 7

I now work full time and find it difficult to get off this site and get some real work done for something I hope to earn me some money. Okay I am making my hobby my business or at least planning to, teach sports, find it difficult, but best of luck to you hope it goes well for you

Answer 8

For undegrad currently I am going to work to school and work full time. It is very manageable. You have to make a tremendous amount of sacrifice to make it work.

Good luck in doing so.

Answer 9

prioritize