3 Tips to juggle a startup and school
I've spent 4 years as a computer science undergraduate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign while being the co-founder of several startups as well as the CEO of my most recent startup, OrangeQC. Juggling working with customers, building a startup, as well as handling class work and studying can be challenging, but is definitely doable. Here are some tips that I've used to work on a startup and still do well in school:
1. Be smart about classes: Most classes are never set in stone. Projects, groups, amount of work are all negotiable and all you have to do is ask. I got the college to approve getting course credit for working on my startup company. I also sought out classes that would allow me to work on independent projects that I really wanted to work on (like this). Seek out classes that will allow you to do what you'd like and if they don't exist talk to your advisor and start an independent study course or have it cross referenced with a different course.
2. 168 hours organization: Everyone has a constant 168 hours in each week; how you manage those hours is what sets you apart. Plan out your courses, assignments, etc. on a calendar (Google Calendar, iCal, Notebook, whatever) and see what time you have that you can allocate to working on your startup. I've found it very helpful to mark down all my classes and seeing how much time I actually have. I've used free time to work on my startup, talk to customers, and brainstorm new ideas. You can't change what you don't have control over, so try to get in control of your time/calendar.
3. Seek out free resources: Many universities have courses and resources that are free to students, but might be obscure. Many students might be reluctant to start a business because they don't have servers, office space, or materials when in reality they can get most of that for free just by asking. Universities have become more accepting in student entrepreneurship and thus are much more open to helping students get what they need to get started for free. I know that we were able to get free servers and office space for OrangeQC just by talking to the right departments and just asking.
I hope you can find some of these tips helpful in starting your business. Now get out there and hustle!
