Taking on too much can make you end up like this guy.

Setting Boundaries

I've come to realize the importance of setting up a boundary system with your friends and family in regards to your school work. While making time for family is important, it is also extremely necessary for your family to understand the need for you to complete your work. If you don't get your school work done, you can fail you class. If you fail your class, it just takes away more time with the family in the long run. It can be very difficult to, for instance, solve for all of the trigonometric functions of a triangle while your children are bursting in every five minutes with "He hit me!" There are easy ways to get around this, provided the people in your life can respect the boundaries you have put in place.

A big factor in getting the study time you need is to have a study place in the home in which all other family members can respect as "off limits" while you are in there. This can be a bedroom, the den, or anywhere else you can get some quiet time. Another great way to reduce interruptions is to assign one of your children to be the mediator, except for possible emergencies. Most squabbles can easily be squashed by, for example, my oldest son. While he does cause a lot of fighting himself, I've found that when you put him in a position of authority, he takes himself more seriously than usual, and can be quite adept at problem solving.

Another great way to guarantee your study time is to have it during your children's set study time. Give them a particular time each day set aside for study, and simply make sure it coincides with the time that you have available.

There are many possibilities here, and I'm sure many more, if you but look for them. I think the key is talking with your family, and working to find the best mutually beneficial system.

Calendar Usage: Will It Actually Work?

I have come across several articles recommending the use of a calendar to try to balance my time out. This could prove to be beneficial, but calendars and I have a very slippery past. I have tried to use them before, but I always forget to fill them out, or even if I do, never remember to look at them later. But who knows, maybe it's worth a shot again! We are, after all, always growing up and learning new things, right?

I think the first step that I need to take would be to set a time each day, possibly more, to sit down and look at the calendar. The best times for these would probably be first thing in the morning over coffee, and any free time in between classes. I've got to do this every day though, without fail, or I'm destined to slip right back into my old forgetful habits.

Now throughout this process, it is key to get ALL of the different parts of my schedule in, or I could very well end up over-extending myself. Stateuniversity.com gives us a few of the more important aspects to keep in mind.

The first thing they mention is to try to leave work a couple minutes early in order to make class on time. I am quite lucky in the fact that I have an employer that already allows me to do this. Secondly, they recommend not taking too many classes, as this can set you up for failure. In some ways I agree with this, though I don't want to take too few either, as I don't want to be in school for 6 years. Somewhere between 13 and 17 credits I think.

The most important recommendations that they make, in my opinion, is to make sure to write your children's schedules into your calender, and to ALWAYS remember to put aside time for relaxation. Between work and school, things can get pretty stressful. Without time to relax, you are likely to get extremely stressed out, which doesn't do you or your family any favors.

Where'd all my time go?

It seems like just a little while ago I had more time than I knew what to do with. I remember the phrase "I'm bored." Lately, though, I don't seem to know the meaning of the word. But a lot has happened in the last 12 years since I left school. I've been working a steady 40 hrs.+ a week pretty much since I left high school. I got married to a fabulous woman and gained 3 highly intelligent step-sons. The problem is, now that I'm back in school, where the hell do I find the time to juggle all 3? I have thus far been able to successfully juggle both the job and school, but lately have been noticing that I have had zero time left over for family. How do I go about fixing this problem?   Nancy Giguere of the Star-Tribune gives a few tips to help minimize the stress  and chaos involved:

Be fully committed. Decide to make time for your studies.

Don't let school work pile up. Instead, break it into manageable chunks. For example, read 50 pages of an assigned book each day, and you'll soon be finished.

Get organized. Pack a special briefcase just for class. Include books, notebooks, pens, highlighters and supplies such as aspirin, lip balm and a water bottle.

Take your homework wherever you go. Study during your child's soccer game, in the dentist's office or at the cabin.

Create a study space. Set up a table with pens, pencils, notebooks and other supplies next to your favorite chair in the living room or in the corner of your bedroom.

Ask for help from family members, other students, teachers and advisors.

Learn about student services, such as counseling or tutoring, offered at your school.

Over the course of this blog I will explore more ways to maximize extra time available for family and minimize the stress of the process.