Struggling with uni and work

[Missberri]

Hi,

i know this isn't the biggest problem ever but lately I've been really struggling with work and my uni studies..

Ive been at uni for a while but because of my mental health issues like depressin, really bad insomnia and social anxiety I haven't done as well as I could have. I didn't work much during this time either because my social anxiety and feelings of incompetence have always gotten the best of me and every time I would get an interview I would freak out and not go

im finally now in my last year of Uni (finishing middle of next year) and I've started working as well. I've become so much more confident and motivated to finish and start actually doing well in life, but now I'm finding this are getting too much.

One of the girls recently left my workplace (a small retail store) so now since there are only 3 of us working there I've been given a lot more shifts. I've been getting around 23-30 hours per week pretty much and I thought that my manager was going to hire someone new soon, but it seems that is not going to happen until after the semester is over.

im really starting to panic because I am really falling behind in uni and I know it's not going to get much easier as the weeks go by because I have non stop shifts. I know some people can handle a lot of uni and work but I'm not used to it at all and I really want to give myself enough time to put effort into my uni work this time. I'm scared to talk to my boss and tell her what's going on because I know there's only 3 of us working there and it's hard to split shifts evenly. But it's getting to the point where I've been called up to work on the few days that I was supposed to have off to study and even on some days where I have my classes.

its frustrating because she's gotten so many applications from people to work at the store and she said initially she would hire someone but it seems like that's not happening until really late now

i don't know what to do at this point I don't want to fail anymore units at uni especially when I'm trying really hard and I'm starting to feel like this job isn't worth it even if I do really like and need it right now.. I really have no idea what to do so any help would be really appreciated 😕

[Zeal]

Hi Missberri,

Welcome to the forum!

Every situation and issue is worth discussing if it is negatively affecting someone. In your case, you feel overloaded by uni and work commitments. It's great that you had started to feel more confident and motivated after starting work. The fact that you are now missing classes because of work shows that this is really affecting your ability to even attend uni, let alone find the time to study and complete all assigned work to a standard you're happy with.

The best thing to do is to have an honest talk with your boss. Tell her that you enjoy your job, but that you find that the number of hours you're working means you are missing uni classes and are struggling to keep up. Being honest is best for you, and ultimately I feel it's good for your boss too. This way, she may realise that she does in fact need to hire someone extra, or perhaps she can reduce your hours a little. As long as you approach your boss when she is not stressed or too busy, and do so politely (which I'm sure you would), the situation should be calm and amicable.

Have you registered with your uni's disability service? I've had anxiety for 10 years now, and I am granted some provisions by my uni's disability service, such as being able to get assignment extensions of up to 5 days without a medical certificate. Each uni will vary with the extra help they grant students with mental health challenges, but it's very much worth making an appointment with this service at your uni. Counselling services at uni are often free, so take advantage of this if you can as well.

I hope something I've said has been useful!

You are very welcome to post back here 🙂

Best wishes,

Zeal

[Missberri]

Hi zeal

thanks a lot your response was very helpful! I think I am going to talk to my boss about it today because as much as I don't let them down I really need to focus on my priorities now and not let myself down again.. Hopefully if she can't hire someone yet she can at least give me a few extra days off each week at least until unis over.. I have a feeling at the moment she thinks she's doing me a favour by giving me so many shifts so I think the best thing will be to tell her it's getting difficult

I was joined with student welfare before but I've been doing so much better mentally this year that I decided to go without it. But I think I will consider joining again if my anxiety starts getting out of control again

thanks a lot again for the help it means a lot! 🙂

[Guest_322]

Hi Missberri,

Firstly, well done on nearing the finish line of your degree! It's admirable especially considering the mental health issues you have had to manage.

I completely agree with Zeal that something is always worth discussing if it's negatively affecting you.

Your thread really struck a chord with me as I'm also juggling uni and work.

I think, and as you already commented yourself, Zeal has given you some fantastic advice. Good on you for your proactive approach in wanting to talk to your boss today.

One thing that I would like to add- if that's okay with you- is about being called in on your rostered days off. I mean, obviously those are additional shifts on top of your usual hours. So can I suggest that when this happens and you have class, uni work, etc to turn down those extra shifts? I think sometimes we have to say no (even if it can be hard to do). Just explain that you have classes or uni work and that as much as you would like to help out, you can't do it. If you follow Zeal's advice on tact and politeness, it should be okay.

The other thing to do is maybe figure out how many hours you actually want to work and bring this up in your conversation with your boss today. This is because asking to work fewer hours/shifts is kind of ambiguous like it could mean 8 hours or 4 hours less, etc so having a range in mind will be helpful.

We would love to know how your chat with your boss goes today! All the best with it.

Dottie