Iām a 21-year-old from a lower-middle-class family, and ever since I finished my intermediate studies from a College (Pakistan) in 2023, Iāve carried a dream in my heart: to walk the leafy quad of a reputable university, to laugh with new friends in the cafeteria, to stay up late talking about lifeāand to build a future on my own terms. This wasnāt just my dream; it was my momās too. I carry her hopes with me every time I sit down to study.
But life had other plans. In 2023, when fees and expenses loomed larger than our savings, my family couldnāt afford to send me on that path. So I put my dream on hold and took a job instead. I started at āØ35,000 per monthāand over the last year, through long nights and early mornings, Iāve fought my way up to āØ60,000. I work 8 PMā5 AM, head straight to the gym at 6 AM to clear my head, grab a quick bite, and try to catch 2ā3 hours of sleep before doing it all again.
Now, at last, I feel ready to leapāand I want to enroll full-time. But the schedule Iām looking at scares me:
Work: 8 PMā5 AM, five nights a week
Gym: 6 AMā7 AM, for my physical and mental health
University: 8 PMā2 AM lectures, 30ā40 km from home, four days a week
Sleep: Only about 2ā3 hours a day
Commitment: This marathon would run for the next four years
I know the risks all too well: no safety net if I lose my job, the constant strain on my body and mind, the loneliness that comes with an upside-down schedule. And yet, every time I imagine my momās proud smile at my convocation, or the sense of belonging Iād feel on campus, I know I have to try.
My questions for you:
Sustainability: Can a nightly grind, early-morning workouts, and full-time studies truly work over four yearsāwithout burning out?
Strategies: What practical tips can help me juggle time, health, and finances? Are there ways to carve out rest, build an emergency fund, or streamline my commute?
Shared Journeys: Has anyone else lived this upside-down lifeānights at work and days in class? How did you keep going, and what would you change if you could?
I pour these words out with hopeāand with fear. But more than anything, I carry determination: to honor my momās dreams, to prove to myself that I am capable of more, and to finally step into the world of campus life Iāve always imagined. Any advice, shared stories, or even just a few words of encouragement would mean the world to me. Thank you for listening.
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Youāre simply going to need more sleep than 2-3 hours per night. I dont know how youāll arrange it but no one can get by on such little sleep. The way to do this would be to take longer to go through classes assuming that you need the salary from the full time job to get by.
There is absolutely no way you will be able to operate on so little sleep. Youāre not even accounting for any time to do work outside of class.
Please prioritize your mental and physical health ā you wonāt be able to work, study, or enjoy life if you donāt have those things and neither will your mother. It is unfair that the university dream you described is not in reach for you, but you can create for yourself a successful and satisfying life anyway. Try to find some combination of part-time degree programs, work, and a healthy fully night of sleep.
As others have mentioned - 2-3 hours of sleep is very tight and I donāt see a mention of time budget for your commute either, or any studies outside of lectures. Uni requires more than attending lectures, personally Iām probably closer to 50/60 hrs / week spent on studying, 20/25 hrs work and 6 hours commuting.
Ideally, you want to minimize overlap between work days and study days since youāre full time. In this case youāll get away with only two days of lacking sleep.
Another thing to keep in mind is that studies can be rather mentally exhausting - especially for a more advanced degree. Being fresh and well rested makes a huge difference for learning capacity. Consider also that youāre paying for your education, you want to be getting the most out of your money. Maybe planning to take a slightly slower pace will allow a more even schedule, an also might avoid a situation where you burn out and end up needing an extra year anyway.
An upside down life is class or work at night, sleep during the day, which already has proven links to depression and increased heart disease.
What youāre proposing is physically harmful and not sustainable. You might feel like you can coast on 2-3 hours of sleep, but thatās because your body is still young. Thatās something you should do if needed, but it shouldnāt be your regular schedule if you can help it.
I maintained 2-3 concurrent part time jobs during most of my time in college, and that was very difficult at times - thatās the minimum of what youāre thinking of signing up for.
With what youāre proposing, your work will suffer, your grades will suffer, and your mental health will suffer. Consider what you described as part of your ideal dream - staying up late talking about life - that simply will not happen. Youāll be at work. If youāre not at work, youāre going to be exhausted. What would going to college mean for you if you know you will not be able to live out that ideal?
Are there financial tools like student loans youād be able to leverage?
If you absolutely insist on going down this path, I looked into polyphasic sleep. It was enticing but the problem with that is if you miss a nap, you are fucked. To me it represented living life on the edge of what is humanly sustainable, so there is absolutely 0 wiggle room to account for the ups and downs of life.
First: I do not know why but my brain read that as an exposition dump from the English dubbed Izuku āDekuā Midoriya.
Second: As someone who has suffered from severe insomnia to the point of only sleeping 90 minutes per night, I can tell you that you wonāt last long. Your brain cannot learn without sleep and you can very easily lose your mind.
Third: The only way Iād recommend doing it is by taking a fraction of the credits and adding summer school if thatās a thing that is offered. It will take much longer, but it might be the only way.
