Balancing School and a Part-Time Job

By LISA RINO

Ashley Spence, 21, Rockland County, has 10 hour days. She splits her time between studying medical sonography at Bergen Community College and working four to five times a week as a secretary for a limousine company. In between working at her job, she squeezes time for her course work needed to stay in her program. This is a typical schedule for many students who must work to support their college education.

“As long as I organize my time, I’m okay with working part time.” Ashley Spence, a student at Bergen Community College says, “It’s a challenge working and managing school work, but I’m able to do it.”

Spence shares that she works not only to pay her tuition, but to have some cash for when she goes out with friends on the weekends. Similar to some students, their tuition payment is paid by the students themselves.

Working a part time job and managing school work can seem hectic at times. A majority of college students are working part time jobs, as well as attending college. According to Marketwatch.com, four out of five students work almost 19 hours a week at their job. That means 80 percent of students are working part time during their college years.

 

Examples of jobs students have

Some of the jobs college students work include; babysitter, waitress/waiter, bartender, on campus jobs, food deliverer, retail worker, and a tutor.

“While I’m babysitting, I write most of my notes while the kids are sleeping or doing their homework,” Annabelle Stiso, Sacred Heart University student, says. “While they’re occupied, I can get my work done.”

According to studentaid.gov, a program created by the Federal Student Aid, an Office of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal Work-Study provides part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay education expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to the student’s course of study. Depending on the job, students receive compensation for their work, which will go towards schooling.

How can you manage your time?

With all the deadlines, coursework and managing a part time job, sometimes it is overwhelming trying to make it all work. A social life, work life, and school life are three completely different aspects of our lives. But with the right management, and choosing what’s best for you, it is all possible. So how do students manage their time while being a full time student and having a part time job? Here are some tips.

Stay organized. An agenda planner, or even a notebook, will do the trick. Writing down deadlines, any upcoming events, even what you need to pick up at the grocery store after class, will help stay organized and remember the important dates.

Manage your minutes. That 20 page paper isn’t going to complete itself. Especially not the night before it’s due. If you’re scheduled to work the night before a big paper is due, try to request that night off ahead of time. That way, you will have plenty of time to get your paper done, even if you waited until the last minute.

Put your school work first. If you know your friends are going out tonight, but you have multiple assignments due the following day, use your best judgment. That one night out won’t be a thought in your mind as you’re applying for jobs after college.

Communicate with your employer. If you have an unimaginable amount of school work, talk to your supervisor. Chances are, they were in your shoes once and know what you’re going through. Whether it be time off or less hours, school is very important. Work on the days you have less classes, or the days you don’t have classes at all. Sometimes weekends are easier to work, knowing you won’t have classes.

Managing your time during college can be extremely difficult. With all the deadlines, coursework and managing a part time job, sometimes it is overwhelming trying to make it all work. A social life, work life, and school life are three completely different aspects of our lives. But with the right management, and choosing what’s best for you, it is all possible. “My best advice would be to just do what you can manage,” Spence says, “Don’t take on a crazy amount of work, but balance what you can. That’s what I do. It works.”