5 Ways To Balance Work, Earn Your MBA, And Have A Social Life [somewhat]

Posted by John H. Heinrichs


Dec 4

5 Ideas to Balance Work and School

With the full and hectic agenda of our daily lives, ToDo_List_2deciding to earn a MBA degree seems like a daunting task. But there is a way to balance it all. It’s not easy, but it can be done with a few things in mind. The good news is that Wayne State’s graduate business programs are flexible and fully accredited by AACSB International . You’re able to take your pick of courses both online and in-class and be equipped with the right skills and knowledge to advance in the workplace.

So if you are reading this list, you are either:

  • Considering going back to school to get your MBA
  • Checking this post out because you’re already in an MBA program and you want to see if any of these apply to you, or if I’ve missed any (which I promise I have!)
  • Or you’ve signed up for the Winter semester and are rethinking your choice because all you want to do is sit at home on a cold winter day and watch Season 4 of Downton Abbey on PBS. (No, that’s just me? Anyone?)

Well if you fit in to any of those categories above, or just curious, I’ve laid out a few ways to help balance work, getting your MBA and have some semblance of a social life.

1. Keep your credit hours down:

  • Many of us are busy working professionals and have a full load between our ‘9-5’. And even that notion of ‘9-5’ is a thing of the past. There are many early meetings and late hours at the office; occasional off-hour conference calls with the company’s office in Asia Pacific; and even work over the weekend to catch up on the overflow of emails you received throughout the week. So now add on to that a full load of credit hours – it sounds overwhelming and it is.
  • A full load can be done (and done in a shorter time), but in order to do a great job and truly retain the information, keeping the number of credit hours down per semester is wise. All of us have families, friends and we’d like to keep them – so do everyone a favor and limit your credit hours.
  • Talk to a Wayne State University School of Business Administration graduate advisor to understand the MBA program requirements. They are a great resource to help you prepare a schedule to fit in to your busy life.

2. Set aside time to do homework:

  • Whether it’s for a few hours each day during the week, or for a certain block of time on the weekend, set aside the time. There will always be exceptions – mid-terms, finals, group projects – that will require more hours. But set aside some time and make it a routine. Carving out time will keep you more disciplined and make you feel more organized. And in doing so, you’ll have more time for things other than homework (see #4)

3. Give yourself a break:

  • Take the time to do whatever it is you did LBMBA (Life Before MBA). Go for a run, take the kids to get ice cream, or join some colleagues for happy hour – you deserve it! You can be the judge on how often you get ‘a break’. Maybe the right time is after a big exam, or after you’ve turned in that huge group project. It’s important to recharge and gear up for the next milestone.

4. Just say NO:

  • And while you deserve a break, you can’t take on too much. It would be great if we could do it all, but we can’t. You may want to commit to a full season of recreational basketball; or serve on your child’s PTA board. But maybe just for a semester, say ‘no’. The opportunity will present itself again and you may be in a better position next semester.

5. Don’t sacrifice on sleep:

  • There are a plenty of other areas to skimp on – watching TV, pinning on Pinterest, viewing the latest tweets on Twitter – but sleep shouldn’t be one of them. Sleep is what keeps us sane and keeps us going throughout the day. The hours may flex from person to person, but according to the National Institute of Health, adults are recommended to have 7-8 hours of a sleep a night . Check out their interesting infographic on how sleep disorders and insufficient sleep affect the human body.

So those are my top five ways to balance work, earn a MBA and have a social life. What did I miss? How do you balance work, school and your personal life? I know the list could go on and on, so let me hear from you!

Wayne State University’s MBA program can fit into even the busiest schedule (it does in mine!), so I encourage you to visit their homepage .

(All credit and accolades for this tremendous blog post go to Aimee Visperas who is the author and content generator!  Way to go Aimee!!)

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