Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Is It Possible to Work and Study at the Same Time?

For those people who want to undertake full-time study in Singapore has over 10,000 part time and full time courses to choose from in their SkillsFuture programme. Thousands of individuals have used their SkillsFuture credit of $500 to be able to enrol in courses that would further their skills or enable them to develop new ones which they can use at work.

However, there are certain courses which are just too good to be passed up. The problem is these SkillsFuture approved courses are require full time attendance in a classroom setting. When faced with such a course which you know will be a huge benefit to your career, you find yourself asking the question “Is it possible to work and study full time?”

You’ll be surprised that the answer is YES! But it will entail a lot of changes and sacrifices in your life.

Let’s take a look on how you can juggle both full time study and full time work at the same time...

1) Assess your current circumstances in your workplace.

It is very important that you do a complete assessment of your work circumstances at present. Do you have a fixed schedule which requires you to be in the office for 8 to 10 hours straight? Are there times when work and projects pile up which would necessitate your full attention? If you are running a work schedule as tight as this, part time courses would be a better option for you.

On the other hand, if your workplace runs on flexitime and/or you can work from home, you may be able to study full time.

2) Take note of your position in your workplace.

Have you been recently hired or have yet to complete 1 to 2 years in your workplace? Have you been working for your company for a good number of years? Does your boss rely heavily on your expertise? Do you feel that your position is secure that taking an extended leave for full time study will be granted by your employer? If you are newly hired and/or feel you haven’t gained enough work hours, it would be better to take a part time course instead.

If your position in the company is secure and you know that doing full time study will be to your workplace’s benefit, it is recommended that you discuss the matter with your boss about your intentions. Especially if your boss sees that he will benefit from what you learn, he may permit a flexible time for your studies or, better yet, have the company cover partially or in full your course expenses.

3) Assess your personal circumstances.

Evaluate your personal life. If you are also juggling a busy family life, part time courses would be the better option. The same also applies if you are not healthy and prone to illness when stressed.

If your family is secure and you have enough savings for their needs, and you are physically fit, you can undertake full time studies.