{"id":29044,"date":"2025-08-20T11:01:34","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T03:01:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/?post_type=oasis-news&p=29044"},"modified":"2025-08-20T11:01:38","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T03:01:38","slug":"finding-your-balance-study-life-and-work-while-studying-in-regional-wa","status":"publish","type":"oasis-news","link":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/oasis-news\/finding-your-balance-study-life-and-work-while-studying-in-regional-wa\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding your balance: Study, life and work while studying in regional WA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Reading time: 3 minutes<\/em><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

For students studying regionally, the daily rhythm can get tight. Lectures, tutorials, assignments, work-shifts and the normal demands of life\u2026 all without the big-city convenience. Here\u2019s how to keep balance, get support and look after yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Plan your time clearly<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start each week by putting everything into a simple schedule. Include your classes, study blocks, part-time work shifts, chores, downtime and regular breaks. A clear plan helps you spot where things overlap or where you’re short on energy. It gives structure so you can resist the urge to skip breaks or push yourself to burn out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Use the Regional University Study Hubs (RUSHs) in WA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a variety of study hubs in regional areas across Western Australia<\/a>. These hubs give you a quiet place to work, peer support and access to digital tools and online learning resources. They also reduce long commutes or the isolation you might feel working from home. If you haven\u2019t already scoped out your closest hub, take take a look now. Use it for classes, group study or to connect with other students in your position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Work realistically<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We know that many students don\u2019t have the option of cutting back on work hours with the rising cost of living. If you need to work long shifts, try to balance them as best you can. Where possible, spread your hours across the week so they don\u2019t clash with critical study times. If a full day off isn\u2019t realistic, aim for smaller pockets of rest to recharge between shifts and classes. Even short breaks matter. Your brain needs recovery time to stay sharp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Keep it social (on purpose)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remote study can feel isolating. Block out time to catch up with your friends, book in a zoom with your classmates or schedule in time with your family. Even short video chats or coffee meetups at one of the study hubs count. These moments refresh your headspace, remind you that you\u2019re connected and help you feel anchored when the routine gets heavy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Look after your physical health<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eating regularly and sleeping enough often fall apart when things get busy. Don\u2019t skip breakfast or lunch; pack simple meals or snacks in advance if needed. Stick with one wake-up time even when you\u2019re studying at home. It helps with your energy, focus and mood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Build breaks into your study<\/strong> schedule<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of marathon study sessions, use short breaks every 45\u201360 minutes. A five-minute stretch, a short walk, or just stepping outside can recharge your brain more than sitting for hours. When the day feels long, pacing yourself is key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Use Curtin\u2019s wellbeing support<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Student Wellbeing Advisory Service<\/a> is available even if you\u2019re studying regionally.  If you\u2019re struggling with a study or personal issue, or you just don\u2019t know where to go or who to ask, our Student Wellbeing Advisors can help. It\u2019s a free and confidential service for all Curtin students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t wait for burnout to kick in. Reach out early. It’s smart and shows you\u2019re managing your wellbeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Reflect and adjust weekly<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of each week, take ten minutes to reflect on the week that was and how you\u2019re feeling. Ask yourself: What worked? What didn\u2019t? Did you get enough rest? Was your study time effective? Use that insight to adjust next week\u2019s plan. This keeps you in charge, not on the back foot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Balancing study, work, and life can be challenging for even the most well-adjusted students. With visible structure, consistent self-care and use of the regional study hubs and wellbeing support available, you can stay on track without sacrificing your health or grades. You\u2019ve got this!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For students studying regionally, the daily rhythm can get tight. Lectures, tutorials, assignments, work-shifts and the normal demands of life\u2026 all without the big-city convenience. Here\u2019s how to keep balance, get support and look after yourself. | Reading time: 3 mins<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4418,"featured_media":29045,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"6535,4814,4908,6711,8379,7977","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","wds_primary_oasis-categories":0,"footnotes":""},"oasis-categories":[141,149],"class_list":["post-29044","oasis-news","type-oasis-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","oasis-categories-online","oasis-categories-wellbeing"],"acf":{"post_options":{"":null,"banner":{"image":false}}},"featured_image":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Curtin-Online-Students-38-1000x500.jpg","author_meta":{"first_name":"Rachelle","last_name":"Erzay","display_name":"Rachelle Erzay"},"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-11 19:33:16","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"oasis-categories","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oasis-news\/29044","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oasis-news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/oasis-news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4418"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oasis-news\/29044\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29045"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29044"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"oasis-categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oasis-categories?post=29044"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}