It can be a second master’s, a diploma, a short course or anything else.

Whatever you are studying, there are a few things that will remain the same; and it is the struggles of studying while working.

The initial inspiration

It takes a very motivated person to make the decision of studying while working full time. “There is a lot more to learn and a lot more to accomplish,” you say to yourself as you decide to take the admission. “I have Fridays and Saturdays off, I can study on those days,” is another common phrase that you say to encourage yourself. And it works; for a while at least.

The first few weeks are easy. You work the whole week 9 to 5, you come home, sleep it off and on Friday you go to class. Then once again on Saturday and then back to work again. And you repeat this cycle for as long as you can. But then comes the inevitable.

Icarus falls

The fall is inevitable for most people, yet you never see it coming. You feel fine, or so you tell yourself, but then suddenly, one Friday you find it difficult to get up from bed. It is not that you are sick, it is just that your body refuses to get up and go to class.

Mentally, you are not only prepared, you are even hyped to learn new things, but your body refuses to cooperate and that is the price of pushing yourself too hard. Sooner or later, everyone reaches their breaking point and the fall comes, much like Icarus, in the form of a crash.

A price to pay

I do not mean the tuition fee. I mean the price you pay in the form of physical and mental turmoil as lethargy sets in after the first few weeks. Your body can only endure so much and no matter your motivation, your mind can absorb only within a limit, and when you start studying after a week’s hard work, it seems much more challenging than it should be.

Friday and Saturdays were your off days where you would spend the days with your friends and family, but when you start studying, you need to sacrifice those. The nights are not easy either; you have to study for the class next day and you start skipping sleep, which in turn only makes things worse.

A Sisyphean task

After a month of regular classes, you start to feel like Sisyphus. It is a never-ending battle uphill and you get no respite. You start to doubt yourself; whether you are even learning and is it worth it after all? But the good news is, it is always worth it if you can see it through. That is where the concentration is needed: the will to finish what you started.

By the time you finish your course or classes and get that much desired certificate in your hand, you will be looking back and wondering why you were complaining so much. But let’s not treat the issue lightly because studying while working a full-time job is definitely a herculean task. And if you are considering it, you should ask yourself if you are motivated enough to put in the effort and endure the suffering. Because no matter what, if you are interested in learning something new, it is always worth it.