It’s that time of year again… back to school for everyone! Kids, teenagers, adults. After completing my certificate program last year, I’m happy to take a break from school again. I’m a big advocate for continuously learning so it’d probably be a few more years before I consider going back to school (for an MBA, perhaps?!), or taking an online course for something fun. 

Having finished my final semester of my post-secondary degree in 2016, I wanted to share my favourite tips on navigating and surviving post-secondary, all while balancing social circles, events, and a part-time job, whether it’s your first year or your final year!

Over the past decade of studying, I’ve managed to balance it all (friends, events, work, pregnancy) but I did learn a few things the hard way.

Always prepare ahead of time.

I thought the first week of all my courses was easy and assumed that the rest would breeze by. I began slacking off on my readings, picking up extra shifts and committing to social plans… little did I know, I actually didn’t have time for that. No matter how easy the course may seem or how many people brag about how easy it is, you have to plan ahead no matter what. Plan what chapters or work needs to be done and their due dates. Plan your work schedule (I was lucky enough to have my work schedule posted 2 weeks in advance). Plan your social outings – saying no to a few is okay if you’re catching up on work/school. It’s a hard habit to get into (I wasn’t much of a planner) but trust me, things will get organized and you will have free time for friends or extra shifts. I used Google Calendar and colour-coded my events but since discovering Notion, that has helped me tremendously in my most recent program.

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Wait until the first day of class to buy textbooks.

A lot of my friends and I made the mistake of buying textbooks before the class started… and from the school bookstore too. Why wait? Because you’ll come to realize that some classes don’t need textbooks and professors will mention this. 90% of the time, you’ll probably have removed the shrink wrap from the book, making it non-refundable. 

To save money on textbooks, join your school’s Facebook group on used textbooks. When I’m done with mine, I sell mine back to other students as well; keep it in good condition and you can fetch a decent price back). It’s a lot of a heck cheaper than bookstores and normally in good condition. Also, if you’re tech-savvy, consider switching to e-textbooks… light and cheap too. I used physical textbooks throughout my post-secondary and then switched over to e-textbooks for my certificate program.

Join social groups.

It’s a no-brainer that post-secondary are also the years to make new friends… and most likely these friends are the ones that will last a lifetime. Sign up for clubs and teams that you’re interested in. Go to freshmen gatherings or networking nights. Go to sports games, and pep rallies (although my school didn’t have those). If you live in dorms, drop by the lounge during the first few weeks to meet new people.

Save up.

If you’re not starting school soon, it’s time to save as much money as possible. Not only are tuition and supplies expensive, but your social habits will be too. I learned to manage my finances a few months into university when my bank account was dropping and I had to cut my work hours back to study. Everyone knows that university is expensive and nobody would judge you for being “cheap”, but it’s not fun to live your university years going into debt just to have some fun!

School comes before work.

I can’t stress this enough because I learned the hard way. I failed a few classes because I thought work was more important. I cared more about making money than my degree. I hated myself because not only are you NOT earning money in the long run (because when you fail the course, you gotta pay for it AGAIN with the money you earned from blowing off class), but you’re also prolonging your graduation date. Work can wait – you have a lifetime to work full-time. Cut back your hours if you feel overwhelmed by work.

Ignore bad distractions.

Another reason why I failed a few classes was because I was also distracted by social interactions with a few friends. These friends didn’t care about their studies and I realized they didn’t care about mine either. My emotions were all over the place whenever I hung out with these people which made me sleepy or distracted during class. Cut these people/things out of your life. Your true friends will not stress you out and will understand your priority of school first.

Also, skip the social media too. They’re great when you’re taking a break between some chapters, but it’s a big waste of time. If you need to, I downloaded timed blockers extensions for the browser. They’ll block any sites you want on a specific schedule, and timed breaks too.

Keep your friends.

My friends are all over my school and work, so it feels like we’re always hanging out. But sometimes that’s not the case for everyone. A few of us may not have friends at work or school. Sometimes balancing school and work can be a handful and we might forget about our friends. That’s when you should give yourself a break from either work or school and have a night out. Even if it’s just a few times a month, your friends will appreciate the time spent with you (so long as they’re not distracting you from your studies!).

And there you go, some of my tips for post-secondary. It’s a fun adventure, nothing as scary as it seems. I went to a school where I knew NO ONE (my high school friends went to a local college), and I ended up meeting new friends and having a blast.

Remember, university is fun, but it’s also a blessing. Many people can’t afford to go to school… so work hard to graduate and don’t take it for granted.