5 Tips for Balancing Full-time Work with Part-time Study
Laura Paton is a part-time PGR in her first year researching the institutionally constructed memorialisation of Adam Smith at the University of Glasgow and its impact on the community and their cultural memory. She works full-time through a condensed 4-day work week at the University in the College of Social Sciences as an Engagement Coordinator in the Student Experience Team. (Laura’s LinkedIn)
If you’re a part-time student too, you don’t need me to tell you how hard it is! The past nine months have not been without their challenges, but these five strategies have helped me to negotiate this tricky balancing act without completely falling off the metaphorical tightrope.
I hope that these tips resonate with you, and that you can apply some of them to your own research practice.
Get comfortable saying ‘no’
Opportunities that seem too good to miss will come your way, but being realistic about your time and prioritising your workload is key. Whether it’s training, a speaking opportunity, or an exciting project, you need to remember you are just one person. Wearing yourself too thin will come back to haunt you when you’re burnt out and wishing you had one less plate to spin.
Sometimes the ‘no’ is not a flat-out refusal. Sometimes it’s ‘Thank you for thinking of me, I would love to be involved in this project, but I cannot commit to it at this time. Please consider me for future opportunities.’ By saying ‘no’ to the occasional opportunity you will free yourself up to excel with the work that you do say ‘yes’ to.
2. Set expectations, and stick to them
Navigating relationships with your supervisors and your employer is a tricky element of the part-time experience. Your work and your research will be vying for your attention and undivided focus, so you need to agree clear expectations, communicate your boundaries, and share your preferences early on.
Setting this precedent at the start of your journey, and reiterating your position if your boundaries are tested, will protect your time and your wellbeing. I have been lucky in this respect, as both my employer and supervisors are very supportive and understanding of my split focus, but having these frank conversations early on has allowed me to maintain these positive relationships.
3. Start a reflective PhD diary
When you are studying part-time, the wins are small, and your progress is slow and hard won. Staying motivated is a struggle when it feels like your peers are racing on ahead while you trail behind. But you’d be surprised by how much you really achieve, even in just one week!
Keeping a weekly reflective diary gives you the opportunity to track your progress, however small that is, and celebrate everything you have accomplished. You can also use this space to plan realistic short-term goals for each week and stay on top of your to do list. The easiest framework to use for reflective diaries is ‘What? So What? Now What?’. First, describe what you have done. Next, reflect on why this is significant to your research. Finish the entry by making a plan for what to do next.
4. Create digital boundaries
Picture this. You receive an email notification from work while you’re editing a chapter draft. You glance at it briefly and your muscle memory pushes you to open it. Suddenly, your brain isn’t focused on your thesis anymore, it's a million miles away and you’ve been completely derailed. Good luck getting back to your chapter now!
This was me at the start of my thesis. It was unsustainable and something had to change. I turned off all Outlook and MS Teams notifications on my phone and created two separate accounts on my PC, one for my student login and one for my work login. Creating these hard digital boundaries makes it harder for me to slip back and forth between these different spheres of my life and reduces potential distractions which threaten to pull my focus.
5. Make time for community
When you’re short on time, and have scattered priorities, making new friends feels like a ‘nice to have’. Something you’ll get around to if you can find the time. But finding community as a part-time PGR is not a ‘nice to have’ it’s non-negotiable. Working on a thesis is an isolating experience, and loneliness is even more pronounced for part-time students who spend less time on campus. You need to make the time, carve it out of your schedule, and then protect it!
Show up to the community events, join the group chats and ask that new person you met out for a coffee and a chat. If you’ve not made any connections yet, be brave and make the first move. Remember, everyone else is hoping to make friends too, and they’ll be so grateful that you reached out.
