How do you study while working full time, and still have a life?

If someone can give me some advice/motivation on this I'd really appreciate it.

I studied and passed my CCNA while I was not working, I had so much more free time to read books and play with labs.

Now I have a full time position working with Server and XP. I'm trying to get a few MCPs before the June 2nd chance offer finishes.

Call it laziness but when I come home from long hours at work the last thing I want to do is stick my head in a fat text book.

What are some of your personal experiences with finding the balance between work, studying and keeping yourself relaxed enough not to burn out?

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Comments

vincentnyc10

u can't unless u r a genuis. sorry in life..u gotta prioritize what's important to u...so u have to sacrifice one or the other.

carboncopy

I study at work

jovan88

carboncopy wrote: »

I study at work

Thats what I'm thinking of doing

msteinhilber

You have to really want it, tell yourself why you want it and you also need to balance things too as you are already aware so you don't get discouraged, burned out, or whatever.

I work full-time, work a PT job, attend class full-time, and I have a wife and kid who both are entitled to time with me as well. It's difficult, but if you work hard you can balance it all out.

My typical day's start with work, I'm not a big morning person so I'm up with just enough time to get ready myself and between me and my wife we get the kid ready for daycare so no time to really fit anything else in there. Once I get home from work, it's generally time spent lounging with the family till around 8PM when my boy goes to sleep. I use this time to relax and play with my son which is a great stress reliever for those busy crazy days in the office. From then on it's study time be it class related or for certification study, I mix it up a bit between the two since most of my tech related classes are over with and it's the more dry general business type classes now (tech mgmt. major). So my average weekday I have from about 8PM till 1AM for studying then off to bed to repeat the whole deal all over again at 6:30AM. Weekends I sometimes work PT, but if I'm not, then I devote basically all day until the boy goes to bed to my family - least I can do since my wife lets me study all week long during the evenings. Sometimes I'll put in more study time in the evenings on Saturday and Sunday, just depends on my mood and workload with class.

It sounds difficult, but it's really not at all difficult for me. I enjoy studying for the most part, sure some of the college classes can be a bit dull but even many of them I can find some interest in. The certification study is really enjoyable, I like to tinker with things - be it mocking up some router labs or messing around with a bunch of VM's working with Linux or Windows Server. I don't really look at it as a burden really, and if anything a rough day in the office only drives me harder to succeed.

I guess I would have to disagree that you have to sacrifice, you just need to balance and find enjoyment in what you do. I would question myself if I was studying for certifications and did not find enjoyment in it, I wouldn't think that this line of work would be my cup of tea if that were the case.

msteinhilber

jovan88 wrote: »

Thats what I'm thinking of doing

You already are, you are working with server and XP. You are at the advantage of being able to read your books, lab things yourself, and then see them actually implemented in the real world and be able to understand why it was done a certain way (or in some cases how it could have been done a better way)!

At my job, it's not uncommon for me to crack open a book and knock out a few pages here and there. Nobody says anything about it, and at least in my environment as long as the real work is being done, it's encouraged to study as you can. I think that goes for a lot of tech jobs that if you have some downtime, you might as well be using it to tune your skills. I wouldn't avoid doing work to study though, because unless you spend all day doing very basic work - you will likely learn more doing your work than you would reading your book.

Revenue

I also study at work

I just crack open a text book for an hour or two and get into it.. At my work no one really would raise an eyebrow unless there was some serious work to be done. Im lucky in that we are encouraged to study for certs and even given time off to study if we are on top of things.

Most of my study is done in weekends though. I normally pick a night in advance and leave that time just for studying (or playing with lab).. suits me fine. I don't need to go out every weekend like I used to :P Also saves $$

But I enjoy studying for certs.. I don't feel like im sacrificing anything. Just gotta find your balance

Good Luck

Aldur

It's possible to work full time and fit in cert study.

Over the last 2 1/2 years I have been working full time, well working for the last 2 years, going to school full time and doing cert study on the side.

I would go to school at 8 AM, get done with school at 2 PM work at 3 PM till 11 PM and then do it all over again, M-F. In that time I have held a 3.8 GPA, recieved my JNCIE cert, and received many awards at work. I'm not trying to brag about myself but to just point out that it can be done and it can be done well, you just have to priortize your time.

I consider myself very lucky, I have a wife who lets me buy all the networking equipment I need and spend as much time in as possible. It's all about spending that spare 15 mins studying, or studying at any down time at work or school. I remember many times ppl telling me that I study to much when I would be studying on my lunch break at work while chowing down on an arby's sandwich.

Anything can be done, just as long as you want it enough and have the will power to stick with it.

Aldur

msteinhilber wrote: »

I work full-time, work a PT job, attend class full-time, and I have a wife and kid who both are entitled to time with me as well. It's difficult, but if you work hard you can balance it all out.

wow, my hat's off to you. I thought my schedule was crazy, you got me beat hands down. It's awesome you can keep you motivation going with a schedule like that.

mamono

Mind you, this was when I was single... *cough* ...
M-F, 9am-6pm work, 6pm-7pm dinner, 7pm-12midnight study @ a cafe, rinse and repeat. I honestly don't really like to go out much. I knocked out a lot of certs this way. I also enjoy studying for certs. I don't see it as a sacrifice, more as an investment in myself.

I had many years of partying, so it gets old quick. Plus, it can drain the wallet fast. I ended up spending a lot less on tea/coffee compared to how much I used to spend while going out. I would still go out on occasion such as the occasional Friday and most Saturdays, but I usually spent my weekends relaxing as much as I can. Recharge for the week ahead, felt good to sleep-in.

wedge1988

Ive read through the 70-291 book, took transcender practice tests and watched the CBT nuggets videos, ive also set up my own labs, (this is good to give you the base knowledge to the exam and hands on approaches) but i find that the most effective learning method to me is to spend a few hours on a weekend creating some info sheets (like cram sheets) and then to spend 15 minutes before and at the end of work reading them through. this is very effective!

Turgon

jovan88 wrote: »

If someone can give me some advice/motivation on this I'd really appreciate it.

I studied and passed my CCNA while I was not working, I had so much more free time to read books and play with labs.

Now I have a full time position working with Server and XP. I'm trying to get a few MCPs before the June 2nd chance offer finishes.

Call it laziness but when I come home from long hours at work the last thing I want to do is stick my head in a fat text book.

What are some of your personal experiences with finding the balance between work, studying and keeping yourself relaxed enough not to burn out?

You need to be realistic about the time you have availability to study if you are working fulltime and have family commitments. In our case our son is 16 months. With a long study track like the CCIE I decided to give myself a couple of years to get through the track properly. Pushing much harder would have impacted the family more affecting my performance at home and at work. But that's the CCIE. Other cert tracks can be accomplished in less time. Take every opportunity you can to study at some point during your working day. Even an hour at lunch adds up over time. Train commutes can be a useful window to do some reading. Outside of work, study when you can but be careful not to tire yourself out or the patience of people close to you at home. Most certs are not doable in a week of evening cramming anyway. Im finding with longer elapsed time to complete the learning process is more rewarding anyway but that's just me.

ULWiz

Have to agree with the posts above. I myself was doing full time school and full time work last year. Had a kid along the way and still managed to pass 4 certifications last year so it all depends on how bad you want it. I will be going through the same this year and hopefully will attain my MCSA 2003 and 2008 while finishing up the CCNA.

Best of luck you can do it

phantasm

Sacrifice man. That's how. I'm a full time student wit ha full time job, an 18 month old son and a wife. I have no life outside of that.

Bokeh

Current study plan is up 1 hour before gf wakes up. Usually gives me at least 45 mins. to go over the notes from previous night. We car pool, so if Im not driving, Im listening to mp3 audio. I can usually get in 30 mins before work, and 30 mins after work before going home. After dinner, its 60-90 mins. once again.

Wish I could study at work, but Im too interrupted by user support calls, last minute projects, etc.

jnwdmb

Hard work, sacrifice, and dedication are needed to accomplish something that is truly worthy of being proud of.

snowdude

I too have a hard time getting motivated for study.

Luckily my work is allocating hours for us to study, but even then its hard because there are always interruptions.

I try to read on my lunch and about 45min to 1 hr after work. I always say I will do more on the weekends but that never happens...

Its hard, and I think once I get a couple more certs I will appreciate them more, hats off to you all with families, and work and class. I just have work and its hard!

JJArms

jovan88 wrote: »

If someone can give me some advice/motivation on this I'd really appreciate it.

I studied and passed my CCNA while I was not working, I had so much more free time to read books and play with labs.

Now I have a full time position working with Server and XP. I'm trying to get a few MCPs before the June 2nd chance offer finishes.

Call it laziness but when I come home from long hours at work the last thing I want to do is stick my head in a fat text book.

What are some of your personal experiences with finding the balance between work, studying and keeping yourself relaxed enough not to burn out?

I can never get one single block of time to study -- so I have found ways around it:

Study during your lunch break -- find a nice corner eat your lunch and study

Load your testing software on your work computer -- no boss will complain about that at all.

Take mini-tests -- pick a single topic and give yourself a mini 10 question test.

Print out any information from this site and while sitting at your desk read, and then make a mini quiz on that information.

Make a quiz for the rest of us -- nothing teaches better than having to make a test! Aim to see if you can stump the rest of us.

Take advantage of traffic -- I was stuck in a snowstorm this morning (it took me 2 hours to go 19 miles) going to work and I used that time to go over items I need to remember for my upcoming Security+ exam.

Hope this helps some.

Regards,

JJArms~

empc4000xl

I did it. Its possible, but its all about picking out topics and breaking it up. I usually pic topics for a few days at a time. So this week I'm doing Media resources for CIPT. If I can only get a few 15-20 min sessions a day it works. So what I'm saying think about what you want to study and break it down into smaller chunks. We have people who have finished entire books this way and passed the test. Studies even prove you learn more when you study in several smaller chunks instead of blocking out entire 3-4 hour blocks to study.

mikesz

Hello,
I find it not easy, but as somebody already said as more you want it as easier it gets.
I wake up 7am to get to work at 9am (40 mins on the train CBT on my PSP), lunch (lab that I set up at work), any free moment I have (exercises from books), going home (40 mins on the train CBT on my PSP), eat dinner, from 7pm till 10:30 pm labs, exercises, reading - everyday mon-fri. On sat 14 hours of studying (my wife works the whole day), I take half of Sunday for some rest.

Just trying to say it takes lots of sacrifice in order to achieve something.
It will certainly be worth it

You/We know it

luckybob

Like some of the others, I have a demanding schedule. I work FT+, have 2 kids (4 and 8 mo), and have a very demanding wife (time wise).

A typical day starts of with waking up with enough time to get to work with a 15 minute variance. For the most part I direct my own work load and manage my own daily activities, so there are time I can squeeze in 30 - 45 minutes of study. I try to multitask and if I am doing something that takes an hour or more to complete I catch up on reading or hit the test lab. During lunch I hit the gym, so bring the study guide to read while I get my aerobics in (30 mins of treadmill/bike/elip before free weights). I get home from work around 6pm and take over kid duty while my wife hits the gym/daughter goes to gymnastics. I play/feed/bath/put to bed the 4yr/8mo old till the wife gets home. She puts the 8mo down while I get the 4yr old ready for bed. Lights out at 8pm for the kids, which leaves 1-2 hours for my wife and I. Once she goes to bed I study till around midnight. This is usually M-Th, as I like to take Friday off.

If I am taking an exam, I cram all week and weekend till I feel 100% about a passing score. I usually schedule exams on a Monday, take the morning off for cramming.

I will admit my wife has been extra supportive and makes sure I get my study time in, and is very good at praising me when I pass an exam. I guess she knows with more certs there will be more money!!!

ilcram19-2

i understand sometimes people dont really have time to study because of the "life" that we might have but im pretty sure we can spare aleast 10 hours a week and aleast 8 hours on the weekends, im always running out of time i dont even like to weard a wutch beacuse i dont wanna know how many hours have left on the day time is the only thing we dont have, that why we need to take advantage of it of the little time we have and stop making xcuses at the end the little free time we have is just gonna be a waste of time if we dont use it

skrpune

Aldur wrote: »

wow, my hat's off to you. I thought my schedule was crazy, you got me beat hands down. It's awesome you can keep you motivation going with a schedule like that.

+1

Suddenly, I'm feeling like a total slacker...

petedude

I usually study over lunch hour, or get up a little early.

vCole

skrpune wrote: »

+1

Suddenly, I'm feeling like a total slacker...

NetAdmin2436

Wow, I feel like a slacker compared to some of you guys. I'm single, no kids (that I know of anyways

) so I don't have much of an excuse.

I'm not a morning person so studying before 9 am is out of the question for me. I have practice exams loaded on my computer at work and I'll try to do 10-20 questions through out the day. I also like to read TechNotes/Mega Guides/MS White Papers at work. Some days at work are just too busy to study at all, but other day's I can pretty much study all day, just depends. After work I'll hit the gym and bring with a small study guide to read while I'm doing my hour of cardio on the elliptical machine. Studying and loosing weight at the same time.... talk about killing 2 birds with 1 stone. When I get home sometimes I'll read a 1/2 hour before bed. Saturdays and Sundays are my days off so I try to do some labs.

snadam

the simple truth is you pretty much give up your social life to study. At least thats what I do. I cut the get-togethers, videogame and beer hours, guitar, etc. Sometimes i implement working out too, just to have an escape. Once im done with an exam though...I go hog wild.

jryantech

It is ALL time management.
I work full time, I go to school full time and I have the weekend off...
Work: M-F 8:30-5pm
School: M-T 6pm-8:45pm

When I get home Monday-Thursday I study Java, Network+ or watch my hockey team play if they are. Normally fall asleep around 11pm.
Fridays when I get home I go out.
Saturdays & Sundays is a combination of Homework, Studying and personal time.

I thank my iPhone for keeping me on track.

I am hoping in 2 years I will only be worrying about a full time job and keeping a lite certification track.

msteinhilber

jryantech wrote: »

It is ALL time management.
....
I thank my iPhone for keeping me on track.

Very true!

I should have mentioned that in my post too... Outlook and my phone absolutely run my life. I'd be lost without one or the other

brad-

jovan88 wrote: »

What are some of your personal experiences with finding the balance between work, studying and keeping yourself relaxed enough not to burn out?

We have a young one also...and I just dont bother with certs anymore unless I can study at work...which is what I am doing with sec+ now. I refuse to sacrifice the little time I do get with the family. If my work required certs, maybe...but they dont so I dont see any reason. Even if I was single and no responsibilities, I still would need that decrompression time

Aldur

skrpune wrote: »

+1

Suddenly, I'm feeling like a total slacker...

haha, i felt the same way. Thought my schedule was tough. Other TE members do alot more with alot less time. Time to pick up the pace