4 Survival Tips Every Working Student Needs to Know

Being a student is not easy. You have to study different subjects at the same time while juggling academic requirements for each of them. Now, imagine having to put a job on top of all that. Being a working student is definitely a challenge some choose to take. Why? There’s a variety of reasons.

Most students decide to work while they study because they need extra funds for themselves, their studies, or their families. Others want to learn extensive sets of skills that they can use both in and outside of school. Some, on the other hand, want to acquire experience before going head-on with the real world. They want to build their career early on so they can achieve more right after they graduate.

Whatever the reason may be, working students have it tough when it comes to accomplishing all of their tasks on time. Yet, they still manage to do it. Wanna know their secret? Here are four of them!

• Know which one to prioritize.

One of the most critical aspects of being a working student is knowing which areas of your life to prioritize. It’s essential to understand when to allocate time to work, when to focus on your academics, and when to schedule personal time. Effective time management is key to avoiding burnout and maintaining a healthy work-study-life balance.

• Set up an organizer or planner.

To manage your time effectively, setting up an organizer or planner is one way to do it. This tool can help you keep track of deadlines for assignments, exams, and work-related responsibilities. You may use different applications or even create your own! By planning and organizing your schedule, you can minimize stress and ensure you allocate sufficient time to excel both at work and in your studies.

• Brace yourself for constructive criticism.

Like all workers, you have to work under a supervisor and together with a team. Hence, you will likely encounter feedback and constructive criticism from them. Look at these opportunities as pathways to your own growth and improvement. Be open to feedback, adapt, and use it to your advantage to become a better student and employee.

• Know how to communicate professionally. 

Even if you are still a student, you must always remember that you are also an employee. Whether it’s discussing a challenging work situation or finding a solution to a company problem, clear and professional communication is essential. Always know that communication is two-way: both have to talk and listen to each other. Try to lead a solution-based conversation where you have proposals to fix a problem up your sleeves. 

No matter how challenging and difficult being a working student may be, it is also undeniably rewarding. Still, there are a few things you must always remember. First, do not forget to have fun. Having to lay in bed all day or go to parties once in a while does not make you incompetent, but actually improves your well-being to be more competent! Remember to prioritize your needs and know when to stop if your body tells you to. Lastly, do not be afraid to make mistakes. Mistakes are part of the learning process, and they help you grow as both a student and a professional.

If you want and need to be a working student, know that it will set you up for success in the future!

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Kalibrr is a recruitment technology company that aims to transform how candidates find jobs and how companies hire talent. Placing the candidate experience at the center of everything it does, we continue to attract the best talent from all over, with more than 5.5 million professionals and counting. Kalibrr ultimately connects these talents to companies in search of their next generation of leaders.

The only end-to-end recruitment solutions provider in Southeast Asia, Kalibrr is headquartered in Makati, Philippines, with offices in San Francisco, California, and Jakarta, Indonesia. Established in 2012, it has served over 18,000 clients and is backed by some of the world’s most powerful start-up incubators and venture capitalists. These include Y Combinator, Omidyar Network, Patamar Capital, Wavemaker Partners, and Kickstart Ventures.

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