I never considered it was possible to combine my farming life with a Penn foster online

degree. In a way, I guess I never had the faith in myself to accomplish a degree and do well at it. Upon starting my online associate degree in paralegal studies, I have come to learn things I never believed I could do. One has to take it upon them self to believe,

want and achieve, I feel I am accomplishing this as I write.

My life is a little easier than others as I do not have children, and I work and live on the

same property, which makes travel time nil. Farming life can be hard work at times and

much harder during harvest. Learning from Penn foster has taught me to be organized,

positive, and determined to finish my studies and be successful in balancing life with study.

It can be very hard and stressing sometimes trying to juggle 11 animals, an Apple and

Cherry orchard, my home life as well as study. I believe that I must manage my time

evenly with home, work and study.

Studying online is great simply because I can study in my own home at my own pace.

Living in the country can be quiet hard sometimes when it comes to driving and getting

places, most places are more than 60 miles away. I find it easier to study at my own pace

and in my own home. I am finding and learning many ways to manage my time and

converse online. The Penn foster library is a great way to get resources and literature that

is useful for my degree; this giving me less travel once again and more time to study.

I set myself days that I study and days for work and home, doing this has me on

schedule and focusing on my studies. Planning is helpful in being successful and

balancing your studies. Plan your time well, working around your schedule using all of

your day wisely. By having, a diary and or personal planner I can’t over commit my

schedule therefore becoming unbalanced. Prioritizing your schedule is an important task

in balancing life and a Penn foster online degree.

You need to apply yourself by using time management, being responsible and determined

otherwise, you then begin to fall behind, your goals then become farther from your reach.

Planning my work is a lot easier than most as I live and work at home. I prepare myself

by making appointments in advance (sometimes up to 3 weeks in advance) and then plan

my working week, household choirs and studies around that. By making a weekly

schedule in advance, I’m able to move things around to suit my needs more as time goes

by. Living on a farm can be very annoying at times as a lot of unexpected things happen

requiring attention, therefore unbalancing my schedule. This then requires me to stay

determined and prioritize my schedule to be able to balance. I feel this is my balance and

by staying confident in my abilities and myself, I am able to balance life and studying.

Commitment is another part of balancing home life and study. Becoming unbalanced can

make you very overwhelmed, this can become daunting and you then begin to lose

confidence in yourself. Being committed will help you become successful in all of life’s

journeys, by staying on track committing yourself to your schedule and making sure any

unbalancing is quickly resolved.

Health and well-being are successful in helping you balance study and home life. If you

are not sleeping and/or eating properly, you need to plan and prioritize more successfully

to accomplish your needs. Without a successful sleeping and eating pattern your brain will

not function to the best of its ability; you then become overwhelmed and unbalanced in your life and study also. Eating lots of fruit and vegetables are a great way to help you

concentrate. A strong sleep pattern will help with your study and concentration, this will

inflict on your day-to-day life accomplishments. Without proper brain function, you will

not be at your best. Relaxation and sports have become a part of my life and help with a

healthy brain function.

I feel much happier and more confident in my studies since enrolling in Penn foster online

education. With determination, commitment, healthy lifestyle and time management I am

able to balance my life and study online. Planning, prioritizing and schedules are necessary

To help accomplish this. I’m a much happier, strong and committed person without these

traits I would not be successful at balancing my studies into my lifestyle.