College is a full-time job. It requires endless hours of studying extraneous material only to forget the content minutes later. It is rummaging through notebooks trying to find relevant information in the notes you took earlier that are hardly legible. At times it can often feel like it is mentally, emotionally, and physically debilitating.

Professors often recommend that in order for students to get decent grades in their classes, students need to study for one hour for every credit the class is worth each week. For most of us going to college full-time, that is a minimum of 12 credits, which means 12 hours of studying each week. That fact alone is enough to make students stressed and rethink their college career. However, for most college students, college is not their only commitment. In order to afford a quality education, some students need to have an actual job that will help support them when it comes to paying their bills, buying groceries, and getting an education. For some students, they are not granted the same privilege as others to be able to have the freedom to enjoy themselves on the weekends or in between studying for classes. For some students, college and a real job are their main priorities and doing both at once can leave them with little to no free time to enjoy what most people refer to as “the time of your life”.

There is nothing easy about going to college full-time and working as well. Trying to cram in a few hours of studying in the middle of the night because it’s the only time you have to get it done because of your hectic work schedule. But you do it. You get it done. Because by working and going to school full-time you have learned how to manage your priorities, you have learned how to manage your time, and you learned the importance of working hard in the present to be successful in the future.

It is because of taking on both of these responsibilities at once, that I have watched myself grow into what feels like an actual adult. I have learned the importance of getting my work done. I have learned the value of a dollar. I learned that it is more important to make money than it is to make a fool of yourself on the weekends with your “friends”.

It has not been easy. No, it has been one of the most stressful years of my life. But I did it. And these are just a few things I learned while doing it:

1. Time Management

One of the most important skills you learn while in college is time management. Learning how to balance all of the work for your classes is crucial. But not only did you need to manage that, you also needed to adjust it based on your work schedule. Procrastinating was not in the cards for you, waiting until the weekend doesn’t happen when you have to spend your weekends at work. But time management is an important skill to have because not only does it prepare you for whatever career you are planning to have in the future, it will also help you be successful in other endeavors as well.

2. Knowing What Is Important

It is easy to get your priorities mixed up when you do not have a lot of commitments. You may think that the most important thing in your life is being with your friends and moseying your way through college, but for those of us who work and go to school, we know that that is not the case. We know that making a name for ourselves now, working towards a goal, and working hard to benefit our future now is what is the most important. As much as all of us would probably love to spend a weekend being completely carefree, we know that all of our hard work will soon pay off.

3. The Value Of A Dollar

I used to think of my parents as being someone who was supposed to help me financially when I needed it, but as I grew up I realized how selfish that assumption is. My parents, like anyone else’s, work hard to earn a living and to assume that I can take money from their pockets whenever I please is not the case. After spending this school year working, I realized how quickly a paycheck goes. I realized that hours of hard work can quickly be wasted on food and a couple of shirts you probably did not need. I understand now the importance of saving my money, and what it is I spend my money on.

4. Appreciating Lazy Days

It was not until this year that I started to actually truly appreciate “lazy days”. Those days where you actually do not have anything to do, where you can sit in your PJs all-day and just relax. Of course, these days were rare, but when they did occur it was a blessing. I used to hate when I had nothing to do. I was the type of person who always wanted to stay busy and be surrounded by friends and family. But now I take pride in sitting at home all day in my pajamas with a good book or movie and not having the stress of worrying about my responsibilities. I am grateful that I worked as much as I did this year so that I could truly learn to appreciate those “lazy days”.

5. Being Goal-Orientated

A lot of people asked me why I chose to work as much as I do while I am attending college. The answer is simple, because I know what I want in my future and I am aware of what I have to do in order to get it. I know that by working now it is only going to benefit me in the future when it comes time to start a real job or what some people refer to as a “grown up” job. I know that by setting a goal and accomplishing it is something worth feeling satisfied about. I am aware of the responsibilities that I take on while attending school and working, but I am also aware of the outcome doing both will have on developing a high work ethic in the future.