LIM College

by JaNaie Fort

I’m JaNaie Fort, part-time MPS Fashion Marketing Student and full-time Assistant Buyer at Burlington Stores. The world of merchandising can be a very fast paced place and no day is like the last. Needless to say juggling graduate school and work can sometimes be a challenge.

One thing I love about LIM is that their graduate classes are in the evenings so they make it a lot easier to continue working while I further my education. Many of the other graduate school programs I researched would have required me to quit my full-time job, which, for me and many people I know, was not an option. After all, my bills aren’t going to pay themselves.

I have had people at both work and school ask me how I maintain studying, school work and continue to perform my best at work. My answer is always prioritizing. Even when I was working on my undergrad degree and interning I was always making sure to work on one task at a time in order of urgency and importance.

Another thing that really helps me is writing everything down on my calendar or planner. And when I say everything I mean everything! Not only does writing everything down help me figure out what needs to be done in what order it also helps me stay on top of my social life as well.

For instance, this week is my best friend's birthday so we’ll be going out to dinner, I wrote this down in my planner because I know that the case study I have due the next day needs to be completed prior to going out. Of course I still have to make time for fun or I’d go crazy. It all comes down to good planning and staying organized.

Working full-time and going to school can be tiring, but the reward of receiving a deeper knowledge of the fashion industry is definitely worth it. I know that in the end this will only help me to succeed in my career goals.