Managing Grad School and Work

Hi, it’s Madisen again!! If you missed my last blog post, I am the project manager here at Sage. In addition to working here at Sage, I am also pursuing my master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Memphis. Being a full-time student and working part-time?!?! How does one do it…. Lucky for you, I’ve put together a list of tips that have helped me become successful in the classroom and also in the workplace!

1. Find your support system! 

Let me say it again, FIND YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM!!! I cannot reiterate this enough; that is why it’s #1! You cannot handle all of the stress from school and work by yourself; it is simply too much! For me, my support system comes mostly from my friends, family, and honestly, my coworkers (who I also consider to be very close friends). Whether it is an encouraging text or listening to me ramble on about the anatomy of breathing, my support system is truly the reason I am able to continue pursuing my dreams! It is okay to ask for help!!!

2. Plan, Plan, Plan!!!

If you haven’t read my last post about staying organized and planning, go read it now!! The key to success really anywhere is to stay organized, set goals, and create a plan. As a project manager, I am in charge of keeping us organized and planning our projects, so why not apply this same principle to graduate school? I live by my planner and one thing that I make sure to do weekly is to have a planning session. I sit down for at least 1 hour, usually on Sunday evenings, and write out my plans, to-do list, and goals for the week. Implementing this practice into both my work and school life has been a game changer! 

3. Be realistic!

Continuing off of the previous tip, planning, you have to be realistic. Yes, we like to think that we are invincible and that the 24 hours in a day aren’t set in stone. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is a limit to the hours in a day and they do apply to everybody. One skill that I have had to learn, and learn quickly, is how to accurately account for the time a task will take. One problem that you want to avoid is  “planning fallacy.” “Planning fallacy” is overestimating the time it will take to complete short tasks, and underestimating the time it takes to complete projects. The best way I have combated this is to plan my day ahead of time and then stick to that schedule. For instance, if I plan on studying for a class from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, I need to start at 7:00 pm and focus until 9:00 pm. For smaller tasks, you might only need an hour. The more you practice planning, the better you will get at estimating the time needed.

In short, you will need a planner and you will need to use that planner in great detail!! I recommend a physical planner as opposed to using your phone. We all know that we go to check one thing on our phones and next thing we know 30 minutes have passed and we have been mindlessly scrolling through Instagram! Before you panic, I am not saying you can’t scroll through Instagram or TikTok, but just not during your PRE-planned time slots. 

4. Find the Harmony!

When I first started in my graduate program, my initial thought was that I would keep work and school separate, but boy was I wrong and I’m glad I was! Speech-Language Pathology and marketing don’t have much in common on the surface, but if you dig a little deeper there are so many similarities. One of the biggest practices that I use in both is how to communicate with clients. Yes, I am communicating with clients in different ways, but Sage has taught me to communicate in a more professional way. I can apply this to school as I am working with patients and oftentimes, my patient’s parents or caretakers. Along with client communication comes building new relationships. Working at Sage and constantly communicating with our clients has helped me build so many relationships in the Memphis area and beyond. Creating these relationships is crucial not only just for the community aspect, but also for when I am searching for a job after graduation. You never know the connections someone else has. Moral of the story is to not let school and work be separate! Don’t misread that, I am not saying to completely integrate the two, but it is beneficial to let them overlap in some areas!

5. Set Boundaries! 

This might be the hardest one, at least for me. I have never been good at telling anybody “no”, but it is a skill that I am working on bettering. I will admit, I am a people pleaser and have never been good at setting boundaries. Setting boundaries when you have a busy schedule is vital! I am not saying you can’t go have a drink or dinner with your friends, but if you have a work project and a test the next day, consider taking a rain check! Know your limits and don’t be afraid to tell someone when you have reached yours! There have been days when I am completely overwhelmed with assignments and tests while also trying to work. I had to realize that it is okay to let someone know that you need help and that you might need the day off, if it is truly overwhelming. This goes back to surrounding yourself with a support system; those who truly want you to succeed will understand and want to help you in any way that they can!

One of the easiest ways to set boundaries for yourself, is to stick to the schedule that you created for the week or the day. Yes, things come up and sometimes we need to be flexible, but also know that it is okay to say “no” sometimes!

6. Don’t Forget to Take Care of Yourself!!! 

I saved this tip for last, but hear me when I say, please do not wait until last to take care of yourself! Working and being in school at the same time is very taxing on a person and we need to make sure to stop and check in on ourselves. Again, we are not invincible and you have to take care of YOU. You cannot perform at your peak, if you yourself are not taken care of! One thing I have implemented for myself is that I treat myself to something every 2 weeks, whether it is a facial, getting my nails done, or a new outfit. I make sure to take time for myself. Obviously we need to take time for ourselves daily. This can be as simple as going for a walk while listening to your favorite podcast, meeting friends for a drink after work, or just bingeing some Netflix. Taking care of yourself has to be a priority in order to truly be successful and prevent burnout.

There are so many more tips that I could have shared about how I currently am navigating both graduate school and working at Sage. While there are days when I struggle and think to myself “wow maybe I should not be doing this much”, I have to think about all of the good things that are currently happening in my life. Remember why you chose to do this in the first place and keep pushing; it is hard, but you are more than capable!