Family & Lifestyle

Balancing school, work and family life can be difficult. Here are some tips for achieving a healthy balance of all three.

• Remember the goal. It is important to keep in the front of your mind why you’re putting yourself – and your family – through the stress of going back to school.
• Take baby steps. If you have a family and work full-time, you might consider easing yourself back into school by first attending on a part-time basis.
• Prepare to work hard. Bring the discipline and work ethic acquired in the military into the classroom.
• Get support from family and friends. It is important to explain to your loved ones that life is going to be different for a while, but by working together you can achieve your goal.
• Stay professional. Don’t let the demands of school affect your performance at the workplace.
• Organize your time. Consider scheduling each week in detail to ensure you have the time needed to do your schoolwork and be with your family.
• Learn to share tasks. Don’t let yourself get bogged down in work responsibilities, household chores and schoolwork by trying to do everything yourself. To avoid burnout, try to delegate responsibilities to others when possible.
• Share school with your family. Your family will likely be more supportive of your pursuit of higher education if you share information about your school experiences. Tell them about your achievements, new things you’re learning, and forewarn them about times when your workload will be particularly heavy.