Starting My Second Term: What I've Learned About Balancing Part-Time Work, Grad School, and Life
Tomorrow marks the start of my second term in WGU's Computer Science master's program, and I'm taking a moment to reflect on what I've learned about juggling part-time work, graduate school, and actually having a life.
Spoiler: It's been messy, and I'm still figuring it out.
The Plan That Wasn't
When I started my AI/ML-focused master's program, I wasn't planning to work at all. I was going to focus entirely on school, move quickly through the competency-based curriculum, and then figure out work afterwards.
Then an opportunity came up right before I started. "I'll wait a few months and see how school goes," I told myself.
Two months later, I added work to the mix.
What Actually Happened
WGU's self-paced, competency-based model is incredible—if you can manage it. My first class? Done in 20 days. My second class? Finished two and a half months into my six-month term. My final course? Completed 11 days before the deadline.
Sounds impressive, right? It was also exhausting.
Because here's what those numbers don't show: the weeks where I submitted work that was "good enough" instead of perfect, and it physically hurt to click submit. The anxiety spirals about whether I was doing enough. The realization that WGU's unlimited reattempt policy exists specifically because they know you're going to struggle with letting go of perfection.
(Turns out, having an anxiety disorder and a competency-based program that lets you move as fast as you want is... a combination that requires active management.)
Balance Is a Lie (But Waves Are Real)
I used to think balance meant dividing time equally between work, school, and life. That everything should be in perfect equilibrium.
That's not how it works.
I've started thinking about it more like waves. Sometimes work needs more of my energy and focus—the water surges in that direction. Sometimes school demands everything I have. Sometimes (rarely, but I'm working on this) I need to focus on taking care of myself.
The key is that they take turns. And when one area has had a surge of attention, another usually needs a bit more focus afterwards before things return to anything resembling "balance."
Work project deadline? School takes the minimum for a week. Challenging course? Work gets steady but not exceptional performance. Recovering from either? That's when I (try to) remember that self-care exists.
What I'm Still Struggling With
Let me be honest about what I haven't figured out:
Self-care is not my strong suit. I don't protect exercise time. I don't prioritize real meals most of the time. I know these things matter. I know I'd be more effective if I did them consistently. But when I'm in the thick of it, they're the first things to go.
"Good enough" is my nemesis. I know intellectually that not everything needs to be perfect. I know WGU's policies mean there's basically no risk in submitting work that meets the requirements but isn't polished to perfection. But my brain doesn't care about logic when anxiety is driving.
Every time I submit an assignment that's "good enough," I feel it. I'm working on accepting it. Some days are better than others.
Burnout prevention is a work in progress. I'm generally good at communication—telling my manager when I need flexibility, being transparent about my capacity. But I'm not good at recognizing when I'm heading toward burnout until I'm already there.
What I'm Focusing on for Term 2
I can't change my entire approach overnight, but here's what I'm trying:
Actually taking breaks between waves. When I finish a demanding course or work project, I'm trying to build in recovery time before the next surge instead of immediately pushing forward.
Experimenting with minimum viable self-care. Maybe I won't protect exercise time consistently, but can I aim for real meals a few times a week? Can I prioritize sleep when I'm between major deadlines?
Reframing "good enough." Every assignment I submit that meets requirements but isn't perfect is practice in letting go. It's data proving that the world doesn't end when I don't over-deliver.
Being honest about mental health challenges. Anxiety makes everything harder—the pace, the perfectionism, the self-care neglect. Acknowledging that instead of pretending it's not a factor is step one.
The Bigger Picture
Graduate school while working isn't about being superhuman or having it all figured out. It's about showing up consistently, even when it's messy. It's about recognizing that some days, submitting "good enough" work while managing anxiety is a genuine victory.
The waves will keep coming. Work will demand more attention. School will have challenging courses. And hopefully, sometimes, I'll remember to take care of myself in between.
Starting term two tomorrow—not with a perfect plan, but with a better understanding of my patterns, my struggles, and what actually works (versus what I wish worked).
Here's to another term of growth, challenge, and trying to be a little gentler with myself along the way.
To everyone else balancing work and education: How do you manage the waves? What helps when you're struggling with perfectionism or self-care? I'd love to hear your strategies.
