I’m a 21-year-old from a lower-middle-class family, and ever since I finished my intermediate studies from a College (Pakistan) in 2023, I’ve 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 life—and to build a future on my own terms. This wasn’t just my dream; it was my mom’s 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 couldn’t afford to send me on that path. So I put my dream on hold and took a job instead. I started at ₨35,000 per month—and over the last year, through long nights and early mornings, I’ve fought my way up to ₨60,000. I work 8 PM–5 AM, head straight to the gym at 6 AM to clear my head, grab a quick bite, and try to catch 2–3 hours of sleep before doing it all again.
Now, at last, I feel ready to leap—and I want to enroll full-time. But the schedule I’m looking at scares me:
Work: 8 PM–5 AM, five nights a week
Gym: 6 AM–7 AM, for my physical and mental health
University: 8 PM–2 AM lectures, 30–40 km from home, four days a week
Sleep: Only about 2–3 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 mom’s proud smile at my convocation, or the sense of belonging I’d 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 years—without 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 life—nights 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 hope—and with fear. But more than anything, I carry determination: to honor my mom’s dreams, to prove to myself that I am capable of more, and to finally step into the world of campus life I’ve 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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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 you’re proposing is physically harmful and not sustainable. You might feel like you can coast on 2-3 hours of sleep, but that’s because your body is still young. That’s something you should do if needed, but it shouldn’t 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 - that’s the minimum of what you’re thinking of signing up for.
With what you’re 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. You’ll be at work. If you’re not at work, you’re 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 you’d 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.
You’re simply going to need more sleep than 2-3 hours per night. I dont know how you’ll 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.
As others have mentioned - 2-3 hours of sleep is very tight and I don’t see a mention of time budget for your commute either, or any studies outside of lectures. Uni requires more than attending lectures, personally I’m 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 you’re full time. In this case you’ll 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 you’re 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.
First: I do not know why but my brain read that as an exposition dump from the English dubbed Izuku “Deku” 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 won’t last long. Your brain cannot learn without sleep and you can very easily lose your mind.
Third: The only way I’d recommend doing it is by taking a fraction of the credits and adding summer school if that’s a thing that is offered. It will take much longer, but it might be the only way.
