Work: A Luxury for Some Students, a Necessity for the Rest of Us
Sep 12 '01 (Updated Jan 28 '06)
The Bottom Line Working part- time while attending college can easily be done, if you are disciplined and budget your time accordingly.
Attending college can present many challenges and new responsibilities, especially if you choose to live on campus rather than at home. You have to budget your time appropriately and shuffle around many responsibilities at the same time. You also have to learn how to budget your money appropriately. Of all these factors, personal finance is the one that creates the most problems of all, for many students.
There are several ways that students can attempt to get the necessary funds that they need, to pay for tuition, room and board, and living expenses. Student loans, grants, and scholarships are usually the first places that students turn to, followed by gifts/allowances from parents, and then jobs. Working through school is a valid option, but it’s often the one that students turn to, only as a last resort.
Getting a part time job:
When I was a student, getting a job was not an option, it was a necessity. I did not receive any help at all, from my parents or anyone else, to pay tuition or to pay for living expenses. I had my grants and my loans, but they only covered the basics of tuition, and housing. It was up to me to cover the expenses for everything else, out of my own pocket.
If you decide to get a job, there are several important factors to consider. The most obvious of these are your class schedule, and your limits on transportation. If your classes are mostly in the morning and end by noon, then you can find a job in the evenings. If you prefer taking evening classes, than you can find a job that has morning hours. Fitting your work schedule around your classes can sometimes present a problem, and it can also limit the employment opportunities. For myself, I chose to take my classes in the mid- part of the day, and then work in the evening. I have never liked waking up early (even now, I work 10 to 7pm), so I would schedule my classes to begin no earlier than 11am, and end by 4pm. That left my evenings open to find part- time employment.
The other limitation is transportation. If you have a car, then your options are only limited by the distance you are willing to drive to get to work. Without a car, you will have to rely on public transportation, or find a job that’s close enough to walk there and back. When I was in school, I bought a cheap used car, so that I would have a way to get to a job, and so that I would have a way to move from residence to residence. With all the moving around that I did, while I was in school, I felt that I really needed a car, so that I wouldn’t need to ask others to help me move. Also, I knew I would be working non- stop, so I felt a vehicle was a critical asset.
I held many jobs while I was going to school full- time. My first job was at a fast- food restaurant. I then worked for a carpet and dry cleaning business, and also for security at a concert hall. The last job that I had turned out to be the best one of all: working at the college cafeteria. The reason it was the best job was because I could walk there; it was easy to fit around my schedule; they didn’t withhold Social Security or Medicare taxes; and because of the added benefit of free food.
What are Some Specific Pros and Cons of Part- Time Work?:
On the positive side of things, a part time job can help by giving you the needed money for day to day living expenses. Without a job, and without help from parents or savings, the only other solution would be to accumulate debt. I could have taken this route myself, but it seemed senseless to me. I already owed massive amounts of money in student loans, to pay for tuition, and I didn’t see any reason to add to my mountain of debt.
Another benefit of part- time work is the opportunity to expand your resume. Ideally, you should try to find a job that is related in some way to your selected field of study. This will help you the most, in the future. But even if you can’t find a job directly related to your major, you can still gain some work experience and develop your people skills. When I worked at the school cafeteria, I knew that this had nothing to do with my chosen field of study, but to give it more validity on my resume, I became a student supervisor. I had to direct the students, in the dish- washing room, to make sure that all facets of the job were covered. Since I had a supervisor’s title, this did help to enhance my resume and it helped me to land my first post- graduate job.
On the negative side, a part- time job can really interfere with your free time and cut into your studies and/or social life. If your major requires considerable studying and research, you may not be able to give up the necessary time to work. You might have to reduce your course load, in order to squeeze in some time to work.
The other problem, like I mentioned above, is fitting your work around your class schedule. For myself, I took business classes and since there were so many of them offered, throughout the day, I had no problem at all correlating my school schedule with my work. However, I know that there are some majors with only a few class sections offered (sometimes, only 1 is offered), and this can make it much more difficult to find a way to balance out your school and work schedules.
Final Thoughts:
Working part- time, while going to school, is an option that many students want to dismiss right away. Many do not want to give up their free time, for both studying and social activities, so they view a job as a last resort.
For myself and many others, however, a job is not an option. We have to work, if we want to be able to survive. As a student, I was often very envious of fellow students who were given a completely free ride, while in college. These students had everything paid for- tuition, room and board, phone bills, books, etc- and they even received a weekly spending allowance in the mail, courtesy of mom and dad, for personal spending. Even with these financial advantages, some of them were still upset and wanted more! This type of behavior, on the part of others who had a free ride, used to frustrate me to the extreme. But there was no point in wallowing or sulking over it. I knew that I had no choice, when it came to work, so I did what I had to and found employment.
In hindsight, I think that the best way to get a part- time job during your tenure as a student is to work for the college itself. You don’t need to worry about transportation, the schedule is flexible, and if you work in the cafeteria, like I did, you get the added benefit of free meals. In fact, the free food is what clinched it for me. I could have worked in the admissions office, answering calls, but I choose the cafeteria because of the free food. This really helped to trim my living expenses.
If you have your back against the wall financially, then you may not have any other choice but to accept a part- time job. If you’re worried that it will affect your studying or social life too much, then start out with just a small number of hours per week, like maybe 10, and see how it works out. You could even request to work only on weekends at first, if you are worried about the adverse affects that work will have on your studies. After a few weeks, if things seem to be going ok, then you might want to consider increasing your hours to make more money.
Finding a way to budget your time between school and work (and social life) can take some effort, but it’s much easier than most students think. All you need is discipline. With minimal effort, you should have no trouble striking a balance between work and school. It will take up some of your time, but it’s better than racking up endless amounts of debt.
For More Educational Reading, Click on the Links Below:
Advice on College Admissions:
Choosing a College or University
How to Help Your Child Choose a College
How to Apply to College
Should I Transfer Schools?
Should I Take Time Off?
Should I Go to Grad School?
Advice on College Life:
College Survival Tips
What is College Really Like?
What I Should Know About Dealing with College Roommates
What Should I Know About Greek Life in College?
What I Should Know About Alcohol Abuse in College
What I Should Know About Spring Break Planning
What Should I Bring to School
How Can I Succeed in College Academics?
How to Manage Your Time
How Should I Deal With Tough Times in School?
How Should I Prepare for Life After Graduation?
Advice on College Finances:
How to Pay Off Student Loans
How to Manage Your Budget
How to Negotiate Financial Aid Packages
How to Apply for Financial Aid
Reviews of Test Prep Materials, Services, and “How To”:
800Score.com
How to Take the GMAT
How to Take the GRE
What is the GRE?
Kaplan GMAT On- Line Course
Princeton Review GMAT On- Line Course
Reviews of Specific Universities:
Wright State University
University of Dayton
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.