How to combine work and study

The article is suitable for those who are just taking their first steps and planning to change their profession or occupation. My example will help you understand how to close some questions for yourself. It doesn't matter who you are now and who you plan to become, because there will be no particular connection to technology today. My example is based on how a team leader of the media buying department decided to become a programmer.

This is the first article in the series of “successful success” or not so successful. How I became a developer and what problems I encountered on this long path.

Let me start with the background

First experience

It's 2021, and I'm burnt out at my current job. I had someone in IT around me, but I didn't really know how things worked there.

The first thing you need to do is just get started!

I already had a basic understanding of time management, but it didn't help me much at the beginning. I started learning Python by taking the free part of the data analytics course on Praktikum. Then I was told about Coursera and YouTube videos.

A separate article will be devoted to the choice of direction, training plan, and sources.

First steps

I started studying in the evenings, returning from work. I tried to repeat YouTube videos or complete tasks from courses, without really delving into it or timing it. In the evenings, I had the desire and interest to gain new knowledge. On weekends, my studies were chaotic: I could sit for a couple of hours or do nothing for two days. The first results, like a console game and a Telegram bot, motivated me.

Deepening into IT

I started to study what languages ​​and directions in IT existed. I spent a lot of time watching YouTube videos about languages ​​and directions. Gradually I started to study during working hours, when I had free time.

I noticed that it helped me understand the terms and look at things more broadly. I got an idea of ​​what professions there are, how the industry is structured in general, what companies and approaches exist in it. It also helped me get motivated, because I saw examples of successful developers and understood what applications could be created.

Whatever you choose, I recommend starting to surround yourself with context. Articles, videos, podcasts, etc.

After a couple of months, I clearly understood that I didn’t want to deal with traffic or manage a department anymore. But the more I delved into IT, the more bottomless the amount of information I needed to know seemed, and the more tired I became. It became hard to study in the evenings: at my current job, I had less and less free time and more responsibilities.

Finding the optimal schedule

Then I decided to study a little the recommendations of IT bloggers on training: how much time you need to spend per day/week to become a developer. On average, many recommended at least 20 hours per week. I tried to divide this time into 7 days and got 3 hours per day. I started studying in the evenings, but on the 4-6th week it began to affect: constant fatigue appeared, less time with loved ones, which was stressful.

Morning classes

I began to reflect: if in the evening there is not always the strength and desire to study, and I work during the day, then there was only one option left – to study in the morning before work. By this time, I finally decided to change my occupation and learning has become a priority over work.

I figured that I had to be at work by 11, so I could leave at 10. To get 3 hours of exercise, I set my alarm for 7 a.m. Before that, I lived chaotically, I could go to bed from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. and get up 5 minutes before leaving for work. The first morning was hard, but I started doing it, using willpower and a large number of alarms. After a month, I had already developed a habit and it began to bring results. I got used to getting up early, studying in the morning, when no one bothers me.

It didn't affect my work, my resources were enough for productivity. Personally, it also became more comfortable: in the evenings I could devote time to my hobbies and my partner.

Habit and consistency

This habit has become fundamental. The main thing is to follow the regime at least 5 days a week. Spoiler, I lived like this for almost 2 years. And it brought and brings its fruits at a distance.

Time optimization

Having noticed a lack of focus and not the most productive use of time, I thought about optimization. I remembered the Pomodoro system from time management: 25 minutes of work and 5 minutes of rest. I started to apply this in my studies, writing down what I did in these 25 minutes (learned Python, fixed bugs in Django, etc.). This helped me identify weak points and understand what I spend more time on. And I also got the feeling that the treasured 2-3 hours of study are spent more productively. Oh yeah, if you start timing, you will be surprised that 2 hours of study, without being distracted and transferring tasks to minutes of rest, can stretch into all 3 hours of real time.

I couldn't find screenshots from that time, but here's a slightly later example, statistics for 6 months of 2023.

Weekends and rest

For almost a year, I studied without days off. Using a time tracker, I tracked how much I studied per week. Often, I did not get the necessary hours on weekdays, so I studied for 5-6 hours on weekends. After six months, chronic fatigue appeared and I decided to add one day off per week. At first, it was unusual, but over time it became easier. I noticed that this day was enough to rest and start studying with new enthusiasm.

It won't be easy. It will hurt.

There will be constant thoughts: “Maybe we should take a break? Maybe we should watch YouTube?” I won’t lie, initially you will need to make a lot of effort to drive away such thoughts and focus on the goal. Also, not always and not everyone around you can accept this. But here I acted openly and told the people important to me that I had a goal, and in order to achieve it, I need to study, this takes time, and we will spend less time together. Surprisingly, such openness only helped in improving understanding with loved ones.

Study and test

Study, try, test on yourself convenient formats and options. At the very beginning, I would like to have an example and advice on how to study, listen to your feelings and remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint. One of the life hacks that helped me: when you don’t want to study at all, persuade yourself for at least 5 minutes. Often this flowed into 1-2 hours of productive work.

Summary:

• Google how much time per week is recommended to be devoted to studying;

• analyze what time of day is more convenient and calm for you to study;

• remember, learning is often not a sprint, but a marathon;

• try familiar or new time management techniques and tools;

• don't forget to rest;

• listen to yourself and your condition;

• Surround yourself with a learning context (read blogs, watch videos, follow industry news).

My first experience of publishing.

And remember: you either do it or you don't!