Work-life-study balance

There are good reasons for studying whilst working, as it offers the chance to advance one’s career or bring fresh ideas to one’s work. However, as such studies also affect many areas outside one’s profession, this decision should be carefully considered.

That is why it is all the more important to be clear about your own goals. What do you hope to achieve through continuing education? Do you want to use it as a response to a changing world of work? Or do you want to climb the career ladder and take on new responsibilities within your company? Or perhaps a career change is on your agenda?

Furthermore, your skills, existing qualifications, abilities and experience all play a part in choosing a suitable continuing education course. It can be helpful here not only to take a closer look at your professional CV, but also to consider your non-professional background. After all, talents can emerge and skills can be developed through leisure activities, voluntary work or within the family. The Profile Passport from the German Institute for Adult Education can be a valuable resource in this regard. Refine your profile and take all aspects of your life into account.

With your goal in mind and your strengths profile to hand, your professional development journey can begin, and you can approach your search for a suitable course in a highly targeted manner.

Studies whilst working are an exciting challenge that requires good self-organisation and effective time and energy management. It can be very rewarding to apply tried-and-tested methods from your professional life to other areas of your life as well.

Our tips for managing your time during your studies alongside work:

• Let your family, friends, work colleagues and supervisors know about your plans. After all, if those around you are in the know, you’re more likely to receive their acceptance and support.
• Make sure you set aside time for studies as well as for leisure. Juggling everything doesn’t mean you have to do everything at the same time. If you’re doing studies whilst working, you’ll certainly need to organise some of your leisure time differently to how you’re used to. It helps if you think in advance about which leisure activities you’ll have to give up and which you’ll be able to keep.
• Take a break. Make sure you do this regularly.
• Set yourself realistic, yet thoroughly ambitious goals. Base these on your own capabilities and don’t overreach.
• A study plan with a tick-off list can boost your motivation enormously. On the one hand, it makes it easier to stick to the plan. On the other hand, ticking off a completed task is motivating.
• Exchanging ideas with your fellow students: You’re all in the same boat. Both during the face-to-face phases of career-integrated studies and during self-study periods, you can approach your fellow students, make new contacts and perhaps even study together – but at the very least, discuss both the course material and the overall situation.
• Focus your attention on the positive aspects – whether that’s the long-term goal of successfully completing the course or the learning achievements you’ve made at the end of the day.

You do not need to notify the university if you change jobs during your studies. Changing jobs during your studies can be an exciting opportunity to gain new professional experience. However, when starting a new job in an unfamiliar environment, it may take some time and personal effort to settle in. Make sure to factor this into your time-management strategies to ensure the transition goes as smoothly as possible.

Students may generally take up to two semesters of leave during their studies. Exception: In the case of parental leave, the leave may normally be granted up to the semester in which the child reaches the age of three. Further information on this can be found on the pages of the Examination and Internship section.

Please note: Even if you have successfully applied for a semester’s leave of absence, it is important to re-enrol in the correct manner and within the relevant re-enrolment period. Please ensure that the basic fee for the Studentenwerk and the solidarity contribution towards the Semesterticket are paid on time. Further information on re-enrolment can be found on the relevant pages of the Student Services website.

When employers grant their employees study leave, educational leave or time off for further education, this is effectively additional paid leave for employees. This leave is specifically intended for educational activities and offers a great opportunity for continuing education.
This is because it involves time off work for the purpose of continuing education. In some federal states, there are statutory provisions in place for this; this means that career-integrated students can, in principle, apply for educational leave, study leave or study time in those states.

Place of work and recognition of continuing education

Important: The location of your workplace is decisive. Therefore, if you work in a federal state where there is statutory provision for educational leave, you are generally entitled to apply for it. Furthermore, participants in continuing education can only apply for educational leave if the event is recognised as eligible for educational leave under the statutory provisions of the relevant federal state. If this is the case, participants will receive the relevant forms for applying for educational leave from the educational institution.

Bavaria and Saxony: no legal entitlement, but…

In Bavaria, as in Saxony, there is currently no statutory provision for educational leave under state law. However, many companies support their staff members’ continuing professional development. It is therefore worth checking with your line managers, as individual arrangements – such as time off work, financial support or time-bank schemes – are often possible. Sometimes, a need is identified that leads to a corporate programme through which several staff members can be trained at once.

Other federal states

In all other federal states (apart from Bavaria and Saxony, as mentioned above), there is a statutory scheme to support participation in further education courses, which – depending on the state – is known as ‘Bildungsurlaub’, ‘Bildungsfreistellung’ or ‘Bildungszeit’.

Further information on the individual federal states and on educational leave is available on the InfoWebWeiterbildung website.