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I have afterall finish my last paper on the 23rd June 2009. That day marks the end of my university course, as well as my life’s academic studies. Which means I will say good bye to school! And therefore now I am awaiting my transcript to be mailed to my house.

This post was something reminded me last time when I first started, even until today, after finishing. Though graduation is due only in a few months time, I’ll write it here the feeling I go through (and the rest of the part time students) when we study and work at the same time.

I often get people asking me this question. Especially working adults who will never had a chance to experience this. Some of us have the luxury of completing a graduate degree, before stepping out to work, so it is quite a different experience. For me it was the reverse; to work first so that I can support my family before funding for my degree course.

Let me just put the differences between 1) working and studying, and 2) working only.

1) Assuming you work 8-5 in a local firm. A typical nite class runs at 12 hours a week, including time for doing assignments, projects, and preparing for exams.

- You spent additional 30 to 60 mins travelling to your school after work duing school days.
- You need to eat your dinner fast! That means you might be eating junk, or spending more money.
- You reach school, get a seat, open your text book. Next you have 3 choices. Chat with your friends, read up and be hardworking, or sleep.
- You sleep throughout the whole lesson, thinking wouldn’t it be better if you had a laptop to do your assignments.
- You look at the time for a break, because you are very tired.
- Finally the lecturer releases you, right on the dot of 10pm. (You may choose not to come in the first place!)
- You get home +30 mins to an hour, and doing your usual stuff like bathing etc. It’s around 11:15pm.
- You start doing your assignment, or your project. It’s 12am.
- The next morning, you get so tired. Because right after 12 am finishing your assignments, you need to check mails, look at the latest handphone offers, run through a few web sites for information.
- You may need to take leaves, because the deadline for the project is today !
- If you don’t, you appear like a zombie at work.
- You have in total only less than 5 hours of sleep. (Because I take 30 mins to sleep, and 30 mins to wake up)

2) buy viagra pills Assuming you work 8-5, and no part time study programs.

- Your after work time is controlled by you.
- You ask your friends / girlfriends etc out after work, the day before or even on the day itself.
- You have no time constraint. It’s ok if you are late 15 minutes… Just don’t do it again!
- You meet up, and decide slower, what to eat for dinner.
- You continue to chat about what happen today… last week… or even the whole of the month! (That’s because your time is free)
- You don’t feel tired. Who will be tired if you get to meet up with friends ?
- You don’t have to think about deadlines for any projects. Unless you have a tough job that gets you working even back home.
- You should reach home fast. Would you go somewhere far just for a dinner ?
- You reach home feeling rejoyced, because theres still enough time to rest and watch TV at home.
- You get yourself to bed, thinking what happen today. You still have 8 hours of sleeping time.
- You get up next morning feeling a good sleep, and get ready for another day’s work.

So you see the difference now ? If this goes on for two years, it does affect your lifestyle.
Not forgetting that a night course cost $10,000 to $20,000 a year, be it a Bachelor Degree or a Masters. That is what I call wasting time and money, and affecting your lifestyle.

I have classmates who work 8am-8pm, skipping the first few topics of a lesson. There are those who have to sacrifice for their family, including their kids. There are those who are unfortunate, whose family are poor, so they had to work first before studying. That means they have to save up for this course.

This example is only for weekdays. What about weekends ? I will be posting it shortly.

Some related posts:
I spent 12 hours, half a day at work

School projects non stop!

Managing part-time studies and full-time job