Autumn is here - a time for new beginnings. And what a wonderful time it is. Schools open their doors for a new semester, and welcome their reinforcement troops, freshmen, with open arms. Plans are made, extra-curricular activities are attended and - did I forget something? - ah yes, courses are completed. After all, the main objective is to graduate at some point. Time to get a haircut and a real job, as the saying goes. Eventually, you might want settle down, buy your own house and spend your holidays travelling. End of story? Maybe not...
So what if, let's say a decade later, you find yourself at a crossroads, just like me. You are well nested in the corporate world, but you realise that you're not done with studying and you want to do something totally different. It's time for a change, a new beginning. However, this time it's far more complicated. This time you've already got the nine-to-five job, a sufficient housing loan and to some extent (more than you would care to admit...) set in your ways. And of course, there are now other people to consider as well.
Admittedly, it's not an easy task, but it's also not an impossible one. Now the big question is do you have to quit your job if you intend to study? No, you don't.
The most flexible options while working is Open University, which offers an impressive selection of subjects. It even opens the door to minor studies in subjects which otherwise would not be possible. Of course, they come with a price tag (except in the summer time) but if you're working it's not too big a sacrifice.
Employers also offer many options that allow their employees to personalise their work schedule, e.g. flex-time which allows you (within certain limits) to choose when you work, as long as you meet the total daily/weekly/monthly hours. Personal schedules can be agreed upon even beyond flex-time: full-time work can temporarily be turned into part-time work or you can take advantage of a study leave.
Although there are many options, it doesn't mean that it's always going to be straightforward... Juggling work and studies will put more than just artful tensions into your calendar. The best way to tackle them is to look at them as challenges, not as problems. Make the calendar your friend and not the enemy. Do I wish there were more than 24 hours in a day? Oh absolutely. I also wish I had the figure of a swimwear model and a million euros in my bank account, but I better not hold my breath while I wait.
On a more positive note, combining work and studies does have its advantages, too. Having spent so many years in corporate life has -in a positive way - left its traces on me. The 'work-me' has in a way become a part of my identity and the flow of working life the natural everyday rhythm that I feel comfortable with. This, however, was not always the case...
A lot has changed since my previous studies over a decade ago and not least in my attitude towards making an effort. Back then I felt that studying was just a necessary stop on the way to a degree and a "real" job. With a mind-set of that sort, it's hard to believe that anything good would come out of it, but somehow it all worked out well and I got my degree.
I eventually ended up in software development and very soon after discovered what project work was all about. It's a universal fact that anything project related is always limited: time, resources and information. You name it. Projects also have a nasty habit of overlapping. Yet amazing new products are developed all the time and seemingly impossible deadlines are met. It never seizes to astonish me.
But seriously speaking, a project is nothing more than meticulous management. A project is knowledge of what you're aiming for and recognising the risks involved, making as detailed a plan as possible and constantly keeping track of progress. These are no tricks of the trade but simple tools that can be applied to anything, even studies. In a sense, a project plan is merely the working life equivalent of HOPS.
So in a sense the work-study combination is not really any different from what I've done on a daily basis for many years. The only difference is that this time it's a project called University that overlaps with a project called Work, and the beauty of it is that I get to be the project manager. I'm convinced that they can even be beneficial to each other. While project Work goes about its business with a rhythm that readily reflects over to project University, project University gets to be the host the party and being is such a delightful host, makes project Work smile even when it might otherwise be feeling grumpy. Of course there are occasions when I hope I could skip a day (or two..) of Work, but for the moment I intend to keep a firm grip on the ladder.
Oh and in case you were wondering, I do sleep and I have social life...
