Survive Grad School while working full time

I haven't posted in a long time, school and life have been keeping me busy. I have a few ideas for more technical posts but until that happens I wanted to share some practical advice that has helped me survive 2 semesters of grad school while working full-time. This can be easily applied to other domains like working on side projects etc.

Have a "school" day

It's very important to manage your time properly when you have to juggle grad school obligations and a full-time job. I find it very useful to set aside 1 day a week to be solely dedicated to school. That way I can tackle giant assignments on that one day without worrying about them throughout the week (for me that day is usually Saturday).

Journal

I find journaling to be immensely helpful in general but especially when things get tough and there are more assignments to finish than there are weekdays. It's a way for me to declutter and calm my mind so I can properly focus on all the assignments ahead of me. There are many ways to journal and you should pick one that works for you, but for me, it's an app called Stoic.

Celebrate small wins

In order to make my grad school journey more enjoyable I tend to celebrate small wins and reward myself. For example, if I ace the test for that week, I'd go and buy myself a pastry from my favorite bakery. It's not much in the grand scheme of things but it helps me push through that week!

It's ok to take breaks

There's been numerous times when work got crazy and by the time it was time to study my brain was already done for the week. In those moments it's important to recognize that you are doing a lot (a full-time job + grad school is no small feat) and give yourself a bit of grace. School is not going anywhere and taking a day off will benefit you in the long run.

I know the things I've mentioned in this post are not revolutionary but if you do them they will likely help you! If you have any other ideas/things you think I should try or feedback of any kind feel free to reach out to me on the internet!