There are two types of people in college. There are full-time students and then there are full-time students with part-time jobs. College is expensive. Thirty-five thousand dollars a year for tuition is a big expense, and for some students, they don’t have a choice. They have to get a part-time job in the evenings or when they don’t have class to help pay for college and other expenses they may have. Students that have a job on top of school hit some barriers, struggles, and rewards for doing so.
Time. Time is one of the biggest barriers that every full-time student has when working a part-time job on top of it. You have the time that you spend at school on a daily basis, the time you spend at work, and the time you spend doing the other activities that you have to do the rest of the day. Sometimes you can feel like there is not enough time in the day. Just keep pushing forward and things will settle down eventually.
Money. Getting a paycheck every week or every other week is great. Unfortunately most of the extra money that we make is going toward things that have to do with college. The rest of it goes towards other expenses like car payments, insurance or gas. Most of my money gets saved for books for the next semester because books are so expensive. Save as much money as you can now, it will be beneficial down the road.
Will Power. Working a part-time job on top of school takes a lot of will power. Students struggle when they go to school from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. and then go strait to work until 8 p.m. and still have three hours of homework to do. It takes a lot to force yourself to actually work on the homework you have, when all you want to do is go to sleep because you are exhausted from the day. Just remember homework is important and easy points.
Sleep. Sometimes we have to sacrifice sleep in order to get things done that we didn’t have time to do earlier in the day. Every college student loves sleep, but just remember to do what is important before going to bed. Coffee is great when you need a little boost.
Spare Time. Spare time is a rare thing for a student that also works a part-time job. The little spare time that we do have is spent working on homework or running errands. We barely have time to hang out with friends or family, and when we do, we cherish it even more.
There are definitely barriers and struggles that come with a part-time job while being a full-time student, but the rewards make it worth it. You are gaining valuable experience in work ethic, time management, and teamwork. You are networking on a daily basis even when you don’t realize that you are, and the extra money that you are saving now will help you reduce the amount of debt that you are in after college. The more you save now, the quicker you can pay off your loans. Whether or not to have a job in college is up to the individual. It’s a great experience, but also a lot of work.