Tips for a healthy work-study balance.

6 Simple tips to help balance work and study life.

In today’s day and age, multitasking is the key to  living a successful, well balanced life. With more and more students opting to work and study, and more corporate professionals starting to understand the value of executive programmes, the need to balance studies and work has become even more vital.

Prof. Mary Joyce, a senior lecturer of note, has this to say, “While it is commendable, that young students are actually learning more about work life, by taking up part-time jobs to fuel both their education and pocket money, when their job becomes their first priority, their college work really suffers, and that’s why while I per se, do not discourage the practice, I insist on a proper, job-study balance.” Similar sentiments are also expressed by HR managers of firms, who report that many a times employees become so caught up in their college assignments that their performance on the job really goes down.

This therefore shows the importance of being able to strike the right balance between work and study life. Here are 6 tips that should be able to help you do just that.

Be organized: Organise your school materials in one place so that it would be easy to find them. Mark your calendar with upcoming deadlines of both course and work projects. Start school projects early to allow sufficient time to complete them. In case other things come up in the meantime, be flexible and accommodate them into your schedule, you will be able to simply because you started your project early and are ahead of your classmates.

Create a flexible schedule: Certain parts of your schedule like class times and workdays are going to be inflexible. Fit homework and studying in when you're either not in class or not at the office. Build an easy to follow routine. Allocate non-negotiable time to both homework and studies. As a working student, you have to be ready to adapt to new assignments, unexpected errands, and sudden work crises that need to be addressed immediately. Make enough studying time in your schedule so that if something comes up, you can shift it into another slot during the week.

Communicate your schedule to your employers, friends, clients and family: Make sure that important stakeholders in your life like your employers, parents, clients and family members know your schedule. Sign up for an online calendar and send the URL to the people who depend on knowing where you are and when. Not everyone you work with will understand the demands of being a student and, similarly, not all of your classmates will understand the additional responsibilities of working while in school.

Manage stress: Stress is an inevitable part of being a student and professional - combine both together and you can expect to be stressed out. As much as you may try to prevent stress, you're going to have to learn how to relieve it as well.

●      Take breaks. Give yourself time to collect your thoughts when you need it the most, so you can re-approach things with a clear head.

●      Be active. Stretch. Swim. Run. Lift. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle helps relieve stress and you'll find that the more you get out and exercise, the easier work and school will seem. Exercising is commonly known to reduce stress.

●      Live. Don't forget to enjoy life. Don't get bogged down by nuisances of the demands of your academic and professional life. Take time to experience the world around you and appreciate your relationships in life. See movies, read books, watch sports. Don't forget to squeeze in the things that make life worth living into your schedule.

Be realistic: There’s never going to be enough time in a day to do everything. Get your priorities straight and don’t harrow yourself if you don’t accomplish every single task you've on your agenda on any given day. Stay positive and be thankful that you have the opportunity to make a living and get an education - two things many people in the world go without.

Remember why you're doing it: First of all don’t ever be down on yourself, and if by chance you feel demotivated or just mentally unable to cope, remember the reasons you are taking on work and studies at the same time. Sure it is like accepting a Herculean challenge that most people don't dare to attempt. You too wouldn’t be doing it if you didn't have strong reasons and motivation. Whether it's the desire to earn your own keep, pay your way through school and remain debt-free, or because you want to get ahead in your career (or switch to your dream career), or simply because you know that life is short and you want to make the most of it -- keep your goals in mind whenever it starts to feel like too much.

Following these easy to remember tips will definitely help you strike the right kind of balance in between your work and study. Remember there are a few people who can do, what you are doing, and that itself is something you ought to be proud of!

Parenting Workshops: FAQs Part I

Children are God’s greatest gift to a couple. Nature has equipped us with maternal and paternal instincts which do kick in over a period of time. Unfortunately though, in an ultra modern, uber competitive world, parenting as a skill also needs a major update. Children today are thrown into a world that is cutthroat and stressful from them at a young age. Are we as parents equipped with this, with the stress factor and all that goes with the territory of being the guardians of children of the 21st century? This is where parenting workshops come in really handy. Conducted by child health experts, psychologists and other professionals who deal with the stresses and strains of child rearing on a daily basis.

When is the right time to take a Parenting Class?

While nature has equipped a woman with an innate maternal instinct that has sustained, mother-child bonding through the ages. It is wise to invest in a parenting workshop even before you have a child. Let us face it, a ritual becomes a habit only when practised diligently and being a parent is no different. There are some best practises that need to be inculcated in you the parents, well in advance for you to be able to use it instinctively with your little one when he/she finally arrives.

What would a parenting workshop teach me?

A parentingworkshop teaches parents different techniques to deal with the lifestyle adjustments that come with different phases of a child’s life. For instance, when a child is in his/her formative years his/her needs are completely different that say a teenager. There are subtle differences between the way one deals with children at different ages. These subtle differences are what a good parenting workshop will teach you.

What are things to keep in mind when choosing  parenting workshop?

The following are the things you need to keep in mind:

●      The reputation of the class in question

●      Your willingness to learn

●      The right class for your needs

●      The kind of methodology they use.

Let us look at each of these variables in slightly greater detail.

The reputation of the class: You need to be able to trust fully the people from whom you learn the techniques of dealing with your children. Always ensure that the panelists, child psychologists, teachers and facilitators are experienced and accredited. Discuss the reputation of the class with your friends who may have attended workshops, seminars and other programmes by these people.

Your willingness to learn: As with almost everything in life, your attitude towards learning needs to be the right one. Don’t be afraid of judgement, ask questions and clear all doubts that you might have, after all it is the future of your child that you will be doing these sessions for!

The right kind of class for your needs: Evaluate your needs as individuals and parents before you commit to a class. There are a whole lot of variables at play here. For instance a child with developmental issues would require and necessitate a different class than a couple who are expecting their first born.

The methodology they use: There are different schools of thought prevalent when it comes to child rearing and raising. Do a bit of reading on the internet about the various schools of thought and then decide on which class to invest in.

Watch this space for more information in our next week’s post.

Educating your toddler: Mother and Me Classes: Part II

In the previous part of this two part series we saw the need and understood the essence of actually taking a Mother and me class. This post will explore the advantages of this kind of class.

The Benefits of Mother and Me Class:

1) It is a great bonding activity.

Parent and Child classes offer a wonderful opportunity for bonding. Bonding provides a sense of security and fosters a positive self esteem. Bonding is necessary to help your little one grow and flourish. In a mommy and me class you will interact together, or just participate in similar activities that will promote bonding.

2) It can help your child develop cognitive, social, and gross motor skills.

Many mommy and me classes will help with your child's overall development. For example, in mommy and me music classes such as Kindermusik or Music Together, your child can develop early literacy skills and more. It can help them acquire reasoning skills, increase self- control, and cultivate a lifelong love for music. In other classes, such as gym classes offered, your child will develop strength and gross motor skills. They might learn how to throw a ball, jump, hop or more.

3) It is a fantastic way to make new friends.

A class offers you a wonderful opportunity to make friends and meet other moms. This is a great chance for your little one to find a new buddy, and for you to build a new friendship with another mom. Friendships can make a tremendous difference in your journey through motherhood.

4) It can help alleviate a feeling of loneliness.

This benefit applies to stay at home moms mostly. Sometimes, at-home moms will feel very lonely. A parent and child class can help alleviate those feelings of loneliness. It gives you something to do, can help provide a break in the day or week, and can help you make friends.

5) It can help prepare your child for school.

A mommy and me class is agreat way to prepare your children to be around other kids. It can help your child get used to being in a structural setting, help them learn how to follow directions, and much more. It's a less anxiety-provoking way of getting your child ready for the classroom.

6) Prevents postpartum depression

Bonding with your child is a great way to alleviate and prevent postpartum depression. It also helps promote security and self-esteem in both the child and adult. By taking the time to do something beneficial for the body helps to improve overall attitude and outlook on life.

7) Increase in the level of confidence:

Both mothers and children have reported an increase in the level of their self confidence after taking a Mother and Me class. Kids are more likely to interact with other kids and express themselves in a healthier, stronger and more individualistic way. Mothers on the other hand have found that they are better equipped in dealing with their own wards in a more confident, controlled manner.

8) Setting a healthy example

Another benefit is that these classes allow you an opportunity to set a healthy example by showing our children that you take the time to exercise and keep a healthy lifestyle. It is a great way to be a model of how to make health a priority in your lives. This is especially important with childhood obesity on the rise.

Educating your Toddler: Mother and Me Classes: Part I

“A woman gives birth to a child, but a child makes a woman, a mother”

~ Anonymous

How apt is this quote? Motherhood, parenthood in general is one of nature’s way of providing sustenance to one of its most fragile creations, children. The bond between a mother (in particular) and her offspring is the most beautiful and instinctive things in the known universe. Particularly in today’s more individualistic, technologically obsessed world, the bond between a newborn and its mother is the foundation of a healthy mind.

Educating your newborn/toddler: What’s the need?

Children are extremely impressionable in their formative years. Even in the womb, it is said a child can feel the positive and negative energy radiating from its parents and reacts to it accordingly. How much more then, would a little child react to the same when he/she can see around him/her? Children are naturally perceptive and though they may not be able to quite verbalise it, they instinctively know that there is something wrong, or there is something going on. This heightened perception eventually gets lost, as a child’s more ‘evolved’ patterns of behaviour and thought patterns emerge. This heightened perception, if tapped in properly can lead to some fantastic developments in the child’s future.

What difference could this make to a toddler?

Good question. Scientific research proves that habits and certain traits, if programmed into a child from a young age can stick with him/her, making him/her a better overall person. But even before this, there are the intangibles like positivity, happiness, love, security and other important feelings that need to be reinforced in a child. A child who knows that he/she, is loved, is constantly reinforced (both positively and negatively), is cocooned in a feeling of security and is constantly surrounded with positivity, grows up to be a better rounded person, well balanced, with a sense of right and wrong and heightened conscientiousness.

What kind of education is the need of the day?

Playgroups and activity centres aside, a child’s first point of contact with civilization is its parents. So like it or not, you are the conduit through which the child is going to receive their first impressions of the world. And what a world it truly is! A world where an app can readily replace human interaction for many people. Social media is a buzzword, but a person’s social skills are at an all time low. It is thus, your responsibility as parents, to ensure that your child takes in the appropriate kind of stimulation, but doesn’t over consume, lest they are left instantly deindividuated. Yet isolationism isn’t the way to go either, you do want them to be social beings after all. In order for you to be able t transmit the values that are apt and tailored for the 21st century, you need to have the right kind of training yourself, that’s where a Mother and Me class comes in handy.

What then is a Mother and Me class?

A ‘Mother and Me’ class is a developmental methodology that believes in positive, safe and activity oriented pre-nursery education. While Mother and Me isn’t intended to ever replace formal education, it is still an important cornerstone in a child’s development. It is between the ages of 1 and 3 where most children learn about interactions and their brains are best stimulated by activity, colouring, games and music. A Mother and Me class provides an environment where kids can learn to interact with other children and be more independent, under the supervision of their parents. What’s more the ‘Mother and Me’ class is great for new mothers as well, as they gain a kind of support system where they meet qualified educators and more than anything else other mothers and can discuss their problems with their child and consult with each other and trained professionals to solve said problems.   

What employers are looking for in you.

So you’ve just completed your post graduation,congratulations, you’re now an MBA! You will be fast tracked to the front of the line in your future job assignments. The boss’ eyes will always look to you for a suggestion or a valuable input. Your future is set… or is it? While getting an MBA was always part of the plan, here are a few things you will need to know before you apply to your first off campus job in the real world. Most of these are unwritten expectations that employers have of you, and it is best to inculcate these values while still in college than try and retrofit yourself into them a few months into your job.

While an MBA will equip you to handle most of any situation that may arise in your professional lives this list is more about attitude and character traits that will help in the process of being an indispensable member of a management team.

1) Be proactive, not reactive:

Being proactive means sensing a need before it arises and planning a process such that when the need does arise, you have a solution in place to take care of it. Say you have a presentation the next day to a client that you know can be bettered, bring it to the attention of your superiors, and volunteer to make adjustments to it, such that the client is completely convinced that your firm amongst all others is the most suited to undertake the project.

2) Be a teamplayer:

No one person ever built a gargantuan monument all by themselves. It would be practically impossible to do so. The same is true in the modern business environment. Teams of dedicated employees strive together, bringing their collective expertise, skill sets and insights to deliver the best solutions. Being a team player entails being a people’s person, putting the needs of the team above individual needs and most importantly sharing the credit! Remember being egotistical will get you nowhere.

3) Be self-motivated:

Being self motivated simply means not dwelling too much on setbacks and being able to learn from mistakes. It also means being creative, showing an interest, perseverance and above all having single minded focus in pursuing your goals. Self-motivated individuals are most sought after in organisations with strong focus on innovation. Especially in the fields of new media, marketing, advertising and finance, where the need to innovate is high!

4) Never lose your inner child:

While this may sound pedantic, the childlike qualities of boundless enthusiasm, energy and infectious humour are extremely important, especially as part of a team. The inner child in us can help lift morale, build relationships and most of call reinvigorate the people around us. A smile and an attitude of curiosity will go a long way in making a positive impression on all and sundry. Overdoing it though will mean you get branded as a ‘good times guy or girl’ and that is not something you’d want for your reputation!    

5) Focus and determination:

Determination and focus are two key attributes that employers will look for in you. Determination to lead and follow without hesitation, focus to reach the goal and on all aspects of the execution of a project.

6) A clean reputation:

Employers are looking for employees who are, who they say they are in their CVs. Maintaining a good rapport with all you come in contact with, not indulging in malice or gossip and keeping your own reputation untarnished by the same will go a long way in ensuring that you have a clean bill of health character-wise. Always provide your prospective employers with references that are genuine and can bear testament to your character.

Follow and inculcate these simple tips and you will find that life and your professional career are on the right track in every way.