How to balance an internship and a full course load

Trying to balance an internship and a full course load this semester? If you want to be “connection-ready” when you leave school, making time for an internship is super important. Juggling work and school can be a tricky task, but it’s definitely doable. Here are some tips for staying above water with your workload...

Understand your availability.

Be ambitious, but don’t set yourself up for work overload. There are plenty of internship opportunities out there that offer a flexible working schedule to students. Take advantage of this! The last thing you want to do is get burned out because you have a full course load and a full-time internship in addition to your other weekly obligations. Take a look at your class schedule to see where you can make your internship work.

Be intentional with your time.

As a college student, you’ve got a lot going on in your life. Adding an internship to your full schedule of classes, homework, extracurricular activities, and fun can be a bit of a challenge. The key to getting everything done is to be intentional with your time. Dedicate a specific amount of time to complete the task you need to get done. Whether its homework or an internship duty, commit to it with the intention of completing it. Don’t try to multitask, and avoid distractions as much as possible.

Prioritize.

To do lists are great, but they can get out of control pretty easily when you’re trying to balance an internship and a full course load. Instead of just brain dumping everything you need to get done, prioritize your activities. What are the absolute MOST important things you should get done today? Rank them from most important to least important, and then focus on those activities. Avoid listing more than five activities on your to do list. You’ll get overwhelmed and nothing will get done.

Get ahead.

Feel like you don’t have enough time to get everything done? Procrastination is not the answer! It’s easy to put off homework or projects when they’re not due immediately. However, if you wait until the last minute to get these things done, you’re going to find yourself stressed out and overloaded. Instead, find ways to get ahead. Start your final paper sooner and work on big internship projects earlier. When you have a head start and continually work on things little by little, it’s easier to manage those big, intimidating projects.

 When you’re trying to balance an internship with a full course load, you have to learn to master time management. These tips will help you get everything done. Happy juggling!

Looking for an internship this semester? For more help preparing yourself for life after graduation, book an appointment with Longwood University Career Services.