How Do I Juggle Work and School While Earning My RN-BSN Online?

The key to successfully juggling work and school is to first become adept at the fundamentals of basic work-life balance. The combined rigors of RN-BSN studies and work can be extraordinarily draining even for the most disciplined among us, so it’s essential to make sure that you put yourself in the best position to last the long haul with your mind, body and spirit intact. The following are all simple, practical measures that you can take to successfully juggle work and school while earning your RN-BSN online.

Segment And Front-Load Your Top Priorities

In all of the tasks that you may have on your schedule at any given time, there are bound to be certain matters that demand far more time investment and urgency than the rest. For top-priority tasks that can’t be completed in a day but still demand a high degree of attention, it would be wise to make a schedule that includes realistic daily intervals of small progress.

Dedicating 30 minutes a day to the focused study of a topic that’s challenging you the most will be far more productive than cramming and burning out after a chain of all-nighters. Allocating 20 minutes a day to reach out to potential connections and mentors is much more productive than uprooting your entire schedule to accommodate nonstop networking.

Be Systematic About Time Off

It may seem counter-intuitive at first to be serious about scheduling leisure time, but ultimately, it’s one of the best things you can do for your productivity and sanity at the same time. Just as you dedicate set windows of time to studying certain subjects, be consistent about sticking to a set time of the day to relax.

Have a cutoff time at the end of the day, when studying and answering emails is strictly off-limits. Make a habit of dedicating at least 10 minutes of the day to getting in touch with a friend or family member to get out of your head.

Optimize Your Environment For Better Balance

Don’t handle work matters in the same seat at the same desk that you use for doing schoolwork. Even if you’re not currently working, being surrounded by things related to your studies will have a subtle but significant effect on your state of mind; likewise, being in a place that’s full of entertainment will make it more challenging to enter a productive-conducive state of mind. Balancing work and school will be much easier if you make an effort to have your time spent focused on each in differently designated areas.

80 percent of the nursing workforce is expected to have a BSN by 2020, and online program enrollment has steadily been on the rise. While the ability to earn a degree online can be extraordinarily convenient, it’s important to refrain from letting this convenience make you lax towards proper work-school balance. The proper way to juggle work and school demands both the self-discipline to be consistently organized and the restraint to avoid letting your motivation supersede your basic human needs.

Everyone has a different ideal balance that naturally works best for them, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t find yours right away. Once you’ve found your perfect personal juggling tempo between work and school, every challenge in either area will be that much easier to overcome and thrive in.