3 Strategies to Balance Your Life and Studies Like a Pro

So the thought of joining a bootcamp is rattling in your head. But there are just a few things holding you back. Can you really study while still seeing to all your responsibilities? Will this part-time education actually get you that new job in tech that you’ve been coveting?

Two questions, same answer: yes.

Here are three strategies that have helped our students balance their lives and studies and can work for you, too.

Communicate 

In 2019, Evgeniia Unzhakova_{How an Immigrant Landed a Career in the US: Evgeniia Unzhakova’s TripleTen Story} moved to the United States. She had been a math teacher in Cheboksary, a city just under 400 miles east of Moscow, but she realized she needed a change. “I decided to choose another career path because I knew I couldn’t teach,” she said. So she joined a part-time bootcamp; it could get her into the workforce quickly without demanding her full attention. After all, she was a mom. 

To make sure she balanced her responsibilities as a mother with her ambitions to break into tech, she was abundantly clear in communicating the schedule she had built to fit her learning style. “I would take a full day, close the door, and say that nothing and no one should interrupt me.” 

Now, she’s a research analyst at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

But that’s not the only way communicating has helped students find balance. Just take Luke Schmidt_{Forging His Own Path to Tech: Luke Schmidt’s TripleTen Story}. Initially, he had plenty of time to pursue a bootcamp, but that was because his company had cut back his hours in response to the pandemic. Over time, though, his workload returned to normal. 

But he was still studying. So to get the same quality of information in a more concentrated dose, he made the most of his time by staying in touch with his community. He wasn’t shy about asking for clarification or having conversations about places where he was stuck. And the community was there for him.

The tutors follow up, message, and check in with people, and are willing to be flexible with scheduling. Like there's just so many positive things about this setup that really made the experience more valuable. Luke Schmidt, TripleTen grad

He, too, found success; now he’s responsible for front-end development and quality assurance at a fintech company.

And you can follow their examples: by being forthright and communicating needs, you can make sure you have the space you need to pursue your studies and that these studies are as productive as possible.

Make a schedule and stick to it

Part-time bootcamps are flexible, and that’s one of their great attractions to many people curious about getting careers in tech. But flexibility can also lead to unhelpful procrastination. This was what Isabelle Cuisset_{Refashioning a Career with Tech: Isabelle Cuisset’s TripleTen Story} found when she chose to switch from a career of high-fashion to web development. 

“Because you've got this flexibility, you've got to be very disciplined in your schedule to make sure you complete every task on time. So, on the one hand, it's fantastic because you can work whenever you want. But on the other hand, it's really challenging because you've got to really demonstrate a lot of drive and self discipline,” she said.

That self-discipline paid off — she now has a thriving boutique web design and development studio, isaWabi.

Likewise, Jeremy Rivera_{Balancing College, Work, Family, and a Part-Time Bootcamp to Find Tech Success: Jeremy Rivera’s TripleTen Story} had to get disciplined with his time because he was, all at once, finishing a degree, working in distribution, and studying at a bootcamp. 

“I worked my distribution job 4-5 days a week. I would leave work, drive to school, go to class at 2:30 p.m. and at 6:30 p.m., and get home around 10 p.m. before waking up at 3 a.m. to get ready for my job. I managed to fit the bootcamp in the time I would’ve spent binging Netflix or being out every weekend.”

Now, he’s moved beyond that hectic life and has a new job at The Walters Institute, a tax planning, education, and support platform. As he says, “Currently, I am the tech team!”

So whether you need to build a structure for yourself or do some planning magic among your myriad other responsibilities, a clear and intentional schedule will help you make sure that you fully absorb all the information and learn at a pace that works for you.

Make it fun

Pinwei Wu_{A New Country, A New Career, A New Calling: Pinwei Wu’s TripleTen Story}, much like Evgeniia, was a mom who moved to the US. However, Pinwei’s kids were much younger. And just as she enrolled in the bootcamp, the pandemic hit. That meant her school-age kids were going to be home with her 24/7.

Pinwei saw this as an opportunity. She was learning, her kids were learning — why couldn’t they study together? “We set up a table for them next to me so we could all learn together. There were some challenges because I needed to manage my time and multitask to take care of them, but it all turned out well. I think I set a good example because they saw me learning things and studying very hard. I was like, ‘Let’s finish this and we can take a break together and go outside!’”

This approach of learning to write code while her kids learned to write essays worked for her: she’s now been a developer at Workbay for two years.

After all, learning something new is deeply rewarding even if it does demand your attention and dedication. Maintain a playful approach to learning, and not only will you be able to seamlessly blend your studies with your other responsibilities, you’ll also make the learning process richer.

Find out more

These are just a few stories from TripleTen grads who’ve made the transition to tech. To hear more from people who’ve been where you are now, check out our podcast.