4 ms·

My career was typically 60-80 hours a week, and I managed to do a Bachelors degree during it (military). My example is to say it’s POSSIBLE; I do not recommend

My career was typically 60-80 hours a week, and I managed to do a Bachelors degree during it (military). My example is to say it’s POSSIBLE; I do not recommend it however. Here’s how I did it: First, a supportive spouse. They need to have 100% buy-in on what you are doing and why. Second, an solid goal. Why are you doing this? Without this, you won’t make it far. Third, a healthy mind and body to hold up to the strain. Before embarking on this journey, get your diet and fitness right; this will pay dividends during the working time. Also incorporate this into the routine so you can do it without thinking. Fourth, give up all hobbies, etc. to spend whatever time is leftover with the spouse and children. I mean this. Your goal path is now your hobby. I managed to do a degree in Nuclear Engineering while a Senior Enlisted on Active Duty, working 60-80 hour weeks and deploying for a year at a time, using these guidelines. It’s not easy, it’s not fun, but it can accomplish those goals. In reality, I’d advise getting a lower demand job so you have more time rather than embarking on the type of journey I did. I’m comfortably retired now, and I look back at those years with some very mixed emotions.

isodev 3y ago
I think 60 hours is quite extreme and unsustainable. A good work-life balance is around 40 hours (and not every week) and it’s in this window that I try to create time and opportunities for side projects.
nonameiguess 3y ago
So, I did this too, but would not recommend it in general. I was a commissioned officer, so possibly even more busy, and went back to school for Applied Mathematics at first and then ended up switching to Computer Science in order to reskill and get out of the military to go into software instead. I was up at 3 most mornings spending a few hours on studying and homework, took another hour at lunch, then whatever it took in the evenings, on top of the job, staying in shape, bailing sergeants out of prison at 2 in the morning on Sunday, finding housing for privates who got kicked out of their houses for spousal battery, all the things you do in the military. It's no way to live, frankly. I ended up with very serious spinal degeneration problems for years, probably due to the amount of sitting and all the rough exercise with no rest. I got divorced. I guess it's a fine thing to do once in your life when you're still in your 20s. I got a significant bump up, earn more than a four-star general now, and never even work 40 hours in a week, let alone nights and weekends and being 24/7 on call like in the military. But the entire purpose of doing this is to relax afterward. You can't live your entire life like this. Nobody should be grinding and hussling for decades. Every now and then, I still get incredible spurts of energy to dive deep into side projects, continuing education, professional development, and all that, but we're talking maybe a couple months here and there every other year or so, and it's driven by honest intellectual curiosity, not by the feeling I have to do it or risk losing relevance. When you get older and have a family, they're more important. Your kids are never going to give a shit if you earn 400k or 700k and they're never going to give a shit if you're out of work for only 2 weeks or your next job search takes 3 months. It's not that big of a deal. But neglecting them and missing out on their lives is. Ideally, find an actual job where the challenges and problems you face in the job itself force you to learn and keep up on skills. Don't blow the only spare time you have keeping up skills because your paid work is boring and unchallenging.
- CobaltFire 3y ago
  I don't recommend it (and I said as much in my post) by any means. I'm retired now and make more than enough to be comfortable at 40 (more than my last CO, who was an O6), and am deciding if I even want a second career. I personally managed to balance it all and stay happily married (20 years this year), but I'm an outlier. I didn't want to get into the weeds of what my career path was here; I've alluded to it elsewhere on HN. However, due to my skillset I held a post that was normally an O-3 to O-4 my last few years in; it made for an interesting dynamic. I was offered that seat as a civ as a GS-13 but elected to retire and figure the rest of my life out as far away from the military as I could. I can say your more detailed schedule sounds much like mine was; trying to hold my position while doing any college at all was difficult due to the factors you alluded to. My branch (Navy) had much of the JO duties that the AF/Army assigns put on the Senior Enlisted (along with all of the normal stuff), especially in my area (Aviation; pilots tend to be pretty focused on their duties).

isodev 3y ago

I think 60 hours is quite extreme and unsustainable. A good work-life balance is around 40 hours (and not every week) and it’s in this window that I try to create time and opportunities for side projects.

nonameiguess 3y ago

So, I did this too, but would not recommend it in general. I was a commissioned officer, so possibly even more busy, and went back to school for Applied Mathematics at first and then ended up switching to Computer Science in order to reskill and get out of the military to go into software instead. I was up at 3 most mornings spending a few hours on studying and homework, took another hour at lunch, then whatever it took in the evenings, on top of the job, staying in shape, bailing sergeants out of prison at 2 in the morning on Sunday, finding housing for privates who got kicked out of their houses for spousal battery, all the things you do in the military. It's no way to live, frankly. I ended up with very serious spinal degeneration problems for years, probably due to the amount of sitting and all the rough exercise with no rest. I got divorced. I guess it's a fine thing to do once in your life when you're still in your 20s. I got a significant bump up, earn more than a four-star general now, and never even work 40 hours in a week, let alone nights and weekends and being 24/7 on call like in the military. But the entire purpose of doing this is to relax afterward. You can't live your entire life like this. Nobody should be grinding and hussling for decades. Every now and then, I still get incredible spurts of energy to dive deep into side projects, continuing education, professional development, and all that, but we're talking maybe a couple months here and there every other year or so, and it's driven by honest intellectual curiosity, not by the feeling I have to do it or risk losing relevance. When you get older and have a family, they're more important. Your kids are never going to give a shit if you earn 400k or 700k and they're never going to give a shit if you're out of work for only 2 weeks or your next job search takes 3 months. It's not that big of a deal. But neglecting them and missing out on their lives is. Ideally, find an actual job where the challenges and problems you face in the job itself force you to learn and keep up on skills. Don't blow the only spare time you have keeping up skills because your paid work is boring and unchallenging.

CobaltFire 3y ago
I don't recommend it (and I said as much in my post) by any means. I'm retired now and make more than enough to be comfortable at 40 (more than my last CO, who was an O6), and am deciding if I even want a second career. I personally managed to balance it all and stay happily married (20 years this year), but I'm an outlier. I didn't want to get into the weeds of what my career path was here; I've alluded to it elsewhere on HN. However, due to my skillset I held a post that was normally an O-3 to O-4 my last few years in; it made for an interesting dynamic. I was offered that seat as a civ as a GS-13 but elected to retire and figure the rest of my life out as far away from the military as I could. I can say your more detailed schedule sounds much like mine was; trying to hold my position while doing any college at all was difficult due to the factors you alluded to. My branch (Navy) had much of the JO duties that the AF/Army assigns put on the Senior Enlisted (along with all of the normal stuff), especially in my area (Aviation; pilots tend to be pretty focused on their duties).