Should You Get a Master’s Degree While Working Full Time?

 

If you’re interested in earning a master’s degree to help you stand out from the crowd, congratulations! It’s a big move that can make a significant difference in your career! However, just like a graduate degree can help you move up the corporate ladder, the amount of time and dedication required to get one may force you to take time off work.

If you want the best of both worlds, you may want to try studying while working full-time, but that’s easier said than done! Not sure that’s the right choice for you? Before you decide what to do, ask yourself the questions below — they’ll help you assess your options and prepare for your next big step!

Question #1: Do you feel comfortable asking for help?

Let’s be real: full-time school and full-time work will put a lot of stress on you. Sometimes, you won’t have an option but to ask for help — whether that’s asking your boss to cut you some slack or asking a professor for a deadline extension.

Are you the type of person willing and able to ask for help before small issues snowball into major problems? Consider this before you decide to stick with your job while going to grad school.

Question #2: Are you ready to do your — financial aid — homework?

Working full-time doesn’t mean you won’t qualify for financial aid, grants, and scholarships. However, it does mean that you’ll have to spend time studying your financial aid options before school even starts!

The following links provide advice and resources to help pay for grad school:

Question #3: When and how will you tell your coworkers and supervisors?

It’s impossible to avoid conflict in your life. Often, the best course of action is to get out in front of potential issues. Accordingly, you’ll want to share your plan with your boss so that if and when a conflict between your studies and your job appears, it will be easier to call out and resolve. And let’s face it, what employer doesn’t love the idea of a hardworking associate striving to learn and achieve more?

A bonus: some employers offer partial or even total tuition reimbursement if the field of study is likely to positively influence your work performance (and their bottom-line). That would take the sting out of your efforts to get a master’s while working full time!

Question #4: Can you relax?

While juggling school and work, it can be hard to take a break, relax, and rejuvenate. Regardless, it’s an integral part of earning a master’s degree while working full-time or tackling any challenge.

Despite that, many people struggle to unplug and unwind! Knowing how and when to relax is a valuable skill and one that’s worth learning before you hop into working and studying simultaneously.

Question #5: Do you have the physical and mental bandwidth for grad school and work?

It’s time for a little introspection! Reflect on what your current work-life balance looks like — do you have plenty of time left after the 9-to-5 to hang out with friends, work out, and do the other things you’re passionate about? How many hours a week are you expecting to be at school or studying? Is it going to be manageable? Meditate on these things before you make any big decisions.

Having room left in your schedule for work, life, and studies is one thing — but having space in your home to complete your professional and academic projects is another! Look around your apartment and ask yourself, “Can I create a dedicated space for my studies?”

Whether you have a dedicated home office or an unused dining space that can be converted into one, having a physical room for concentration will help you conquer work and grad school. And if you need temporary furniture to transform a space for the duration of your academic pursuits, turn to CORT Furniture Rental for temporary office and bedroom furnishings.

An Easy A: Finding Your Next Place

Whether you decide to do grad school full-time while staying at work, work and study part-time, or quit work to go to pursue a different trade entirely — ApartmentSearch has your back. Find apartments that fit your budget wherever life takes you!