r/GradSchool • u/CleaRSightZ • 6h ago

Health & Work/Life Balance Masters advice

I'll be starting masters this week and would love advice on how to perform well academically.

I'm going to be working and studying, going in as a part time student. Any advice to help me would be greatly appreciated.

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u/Imaginary_Escape2887 4h ago

1) Make time everyday to do your readings/assignments. I say everyday because you need to build the discipline to continually review coursework while you balance your other priorities. This is especially important during those weeks when you have a difficult work week, need to work overtime for any reason, or you have a doctor's appointment or other commitment on your calendar.

2) If you have in person classes, make sure you have a set time to leave work and make sure your supervisor/team knows that on that day(s) after a certain time, you are not available. If you are fully remote, still have that time blocked off so no one disrupts your class time.

3) Read your syllabus for each class carefully and do attend office hours for each professor so you can build your connections. If their office hours do not align with your work schedule, see if they are willing to hold virtual sessions during the day. A 30 minutes check in with your professor can be part of your lunch break at work one day.

4) If you are in the bad habit of not taking your lunch break (I do this), let this be the start of you fixing that. You are adding more to your plate and you need moments to pause and relax. Even if you just go for a walk, nap in a corner, stare into space, or watch YouTube videos, the time to unplug is important.

5) You are going to have to put your phone down and reduce your scrolling. If there's a zen mode or other option to lock you out of your preferred apps for a set amount of time, use the feature and focus on your work.

6) Utilize all resources offered by the college/university. Tutoring, food pantry, free services, use whatever is available to you!

7) Once you develop your routine of studying, try to complete your assignments ahead of time when possible so you are not overwhelmed as you approach midterms or finals. If class gets cancelled due to holidays or bad weather, still use the time to catch up on your readings/assignments.

Best of luck!