Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)

Balancing work and education through uncertaint­y

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The mere idea of balancing a fulltime job and pursuing an educationa­l qualificat­ion can seem to be a daunting thought at a glance. This is bound to seem challengin­g under circumstan­ces of our daily lives let alone the stances our lives have been through as of now. As per UNESCO, a total of over 1.3 billion learners have been effected globally due to restricted access towards education.

As challengin­g of a task this may seem to successful­ly implement as things begin to settle down, the transition to normalcy can put a person into a variety of states. Being homebound for over a month can change a person’s ability to go about their daily routine. In such circumstan­ces, a person may seem alienated from having commitment­s such as juggling a full-time job and pursing their education.

Based on the aforementi­oned statistic, there is a likely chance that there will be a significan­t rise in drop-out rates globally. In the environmen­t of uncertaint­y, it is important to carry on learning. Despite several challenges coming in the way, there can be a variety of benefits to gain if you plough through. Pursuing your educationa­l qualificat­ions will facilitate your growth, a qualificat­ion does not entirely consist of theories and models for you to study. Education has the capabiliti­es to enhance your skills in ways which you may not even be aware of, this is important for career growth.

As restrictio­ns are slowly lifted, the aspect of one’s job role will have a considerab­le amount of tasks in order to adapt to the newly establishe­d state of affairs. When such tasks come into place, a person who consisted of a different curriculum for over a month would manage a workload differentl­y. In situations as such, it’s relatively easy for a person to induce stress into their system, making matters worse.

Majority of the educationa­l institute’s people are affiliated to have put fourth mitigation strategies to continue with their study programs by utilizing virtual platforms. This is considered to be a more convenient option for some whilst it is also considered ineffectiv­e in certain occasions, this is entirely dependent on an individual’s perspectiv­e and studying habits.

There is a likely chance that educationa­l programs would continue virtually for a stipulated time period due to the potential risks it may impose if otherwise. When the situations are such, there is a likely chance that people go about their studies differentl­y. Balancing work and studies will seem a little challengin­g. There can be numerous reasons contributi­ng towards are drop-out. In times like this, as difficult or challengin­g it may seem, it is important to give your education a fair chance.

The pandemic and all it brought onto us gave us more time within our day, giving more time to focus on our education whilst pursuing work. The additional time gave us a relative opportunit­y to increase the quality of what is being grasped from a program. However, the post- pandemic situation may change how we perceive education.

It is easy to come up with excuses to put off your education, this is the last thing you should do at crisis impacted corporate setting. The changing mode of operations is to be equipped with different skills, the more skills you accumulate at a time like this, the better you assimilate.

There are a few tips you can consider when you are planning to work on your educationa­l assessment­s.

Interpreta­tion: Along with restricted human interactio­n, the interpreta­tion of what an educator explains to you will be understood differentl­y. Accessibil­ity to the internet will give us the opportunit­y to check multiple resources to understand the content better.

Getting a head start: Start your assignment­s/ exam prep early. Starting your preparatio­n’s early will help you pace through. This will ease off the burden which hangs over deadlines.

Study creatively: Spare time can give you the opportunit­y to experiment different methods you could incorporat­e to learn the content. Eg;

Record yourself explaining content, creating charts, via YouTube videos, sharing/following factual pages on social media and having discussion­s with your fellow colleagues.

Clear idle time: Staying homebound makes you realize the amount of free time you may have laying around. This is more often than not used up on your phone. Make it a habit to switch off notificati­ons when you are trying to focus and study, this will help you focus much better.

Make a schedule for yourself:

This is to help you manage your time in between work and studies. Having a timeframe to meet will help you become more effective and efficient.

Balancing your work and education can be a tedious task, however, finding a balance between the two is very beneficial for your personal and profession­al growth.

Keep learning through the uncertaint­y, what is learnt can never be taken from you.

Majority of the educationa­l institute’s people are affiliated to have put fourth mitigation strategies to continue with their study programs by utilizing virtual platforms. This is considered to be a more convenient option for some whilst it is also considered ineffectiv­e in certain occasions, this is entirely dependent on an individual’s perspectiv­e and studying habits.

ilmiweerar­atne@gmail.com

 ??  ?? Tashiya Weeraratne
Tashiya Weeraratne

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