Balancing Postgraduate Study & Working Life

Landing at Dublin airport in September 2023 marked the start of a new chapter in my academic life. I had flown in from Vancouver, Canada, where I had spent a long, hot summer moving furniture across the coastal city. Returning to Ireland meant a fresh start in a new university, taking on a new postgraduate course, and most challenging of all, leaving my friends on the other side of the Atlantic. Vancouver is an expensive city, so needless to say, my wallet didn’t take up too much luggage space on the return flight. Thankfully, I was able to find employment quickly, and before long I was working once again, this time leading tours of a technology exhibition in Dublin city centre. I liked my new role, yet the new situation brought it’s own challenges. I had to manage my working life whilst also navigating the unfamiliar world of postgraduate study at DCU. Combining work and study has been a really challenging but ultimately rewarding experience. Reflecting on the past nine months, I have put together some tips for managing work and study as a postgraduate student:

Reading in Transit

Most academic courses, especially those in the humanities, are literature-heavy. I study International Relations - the modules so far have issued anywhere from 70 – 100 pages of reading per week, largely from academic journals and textbooks. With so much historical context to understand, I also needed to do quite a lot of background reading and independent research. Finding sufficient time to read can be difficult when balancing work and study – journal articles are not usually considered relaxing evening material after a long day at work! The solution is to read during those moments in transit. My morning commute, from my house to the city centre, featured an hour-long train journey. I would maximise this time by using some noise-cancelling headphones (or plain earplugs) and a highlighter and getting stuck into those articles! The train can be a great place to read as there’s little distraction and comfortable seating. However, if you drive or take the bus to work or college, you might consider searching for your study materials in audio form. Academic materials are becoming increasingly available as audio through systems like Taylor and Francis’ Readspeaker.

Setting Time Aside to Write

When managing working life with postgraduate study, the most challenging times are those in the middle and end of semesters, when we have to complete our assignments. My assignments so far have largely been academic essays with the occasional group presentation. My advice on academic writing is the opposite of that on academic reading – don’t try and squeeze it into your train journey. Writing at masters level often requires a deep engagement with intellectually complex topics. In my experience, work of this nature should not be done in dribs and drabs. Rather, try to set aside a couple of uninterrupted hours in a sequestered space and engage in some deep work. For me, that’s at my bedroom desk on a Saturday morning. Even during these busy periods, there’s no need to lock ourselves away all afternoon. If you’re up to date on your reading, it’s surprising how much writing can be done in just a couple of hours once we’re away from our everyday distractions. Use a significant block of time to build up some momentum with your writing. Then, when the time has passed, simply step away from it – your ideas will continue to percolate as you rest.

Taking Time for Ourselves

Trying to achieve a balance between work and study can be stressful in itself! Operating in two spheres means that demands can come from both sides simultaneously, and this may feel overwhelming. I have plenty of things to tick off my to-do list, and I often find it difficult to ‘switch off’ from these demands in my free time. It’s easy to fall into the mindset of – ‘well, if I just get this thing done, then I can relax!’ However, in academic life especially, there’s always more to do, another paper to be read or a sheaf of notes to be revised, so don’t convince yourself that you must squeeze in one more journal article before you can take a break. Postgraduate studies are as challenging as they are worthwhile, so our brains need lots of time to rest in between periods of intense engagement. We must always prioritise our health alongside our professional and educational commitments. Time away from our study also benefits us by providing the opportunity to gain perspective on what we’re doing - to reconnect with the passion and energy that drove us to continue our studies postgraduation.

For all the challenges that have arisen over the past nine months, I have managed not only to (nearly!) complete my first year of postgraduate study but also enjoy it immensely. DCU is a very supportive environment for undergraduate and postgraduate students alike. From the warm community feel on the Glasnevin campus to the range of student services and accommodating educators, the university is a great place to pursue the postgraduate life. Although balancing work and study has been difficult, I’m very happy with the route I have chosen. Hopefully, these tips will make your postgraduate journey a little easier!