Holding a job during college is a reality for many students. Colleges naturally prefer that students devote themselves entirely to their studies. However, attending school beyond grade twelve is a privilege, and an expensive one at that. Many families cannot afford to send kids to college without help, and student loans may not cover tuition, books, dorms, and other living expenses. Plus, it never hurts to have some spending money. Whatever the case may be, students could find themselves struggling to balance the demands of both school and work while earning a degree. Here are a few tips to help you stay on track with both.
You may want to start by looking for on-campus work opportunities. There are several types of jobs that students may be eligible for, such as working in the library or bookstore, tutoring other students, or serving food in the cafeteria, just for example. What you’re likely to find, however, is that your work hours will be limited to part time, which is to say 20 hours per week, generally speaking. Most college campuses do this as a way to ensure that students are not overly burdened and that they can continue to make their studies the priority. The upside of finding on-campus work is that you won’t have to go far to earn some extra dough, perhaps allowing you to forego the cost of transportation (mass transit or a personal vehicle) in order to get to and from work.
The other option is to seek employment off-campus and there are a couple of options that could be appealing. You should start by looking into the possibility of paid internships. Many college internship opportunities are unpaid because you receive college credit for them. However, you can still learn a lot while earning money at an internship, even though you won’t get course credit if you’re receiving a paycheck. This type of job will also allow you the chance to network and potentially secure a more permanent position in your chosen industry.
As you can imagine, such internships are few and far between, and there is quite a bit of competition to nab them. If this leaves you seeking gainful employment elsewhere, then you are in a situation most students find themselves. In order to balance work and college courses, you’ll need to find an employer that is prepared to work with your schedule, especially since it will likely change from one semester to the next. If you wonder why so many college students end up working as waiters, bartenders, and baristas, it is simply because these types of establishments generally offer the most flexible schedules, not to mention tips.
You should also make sure you’re not working so much that you compromise your ability to keep up with your studies at Maryville University and maintain good grades. If you’re taking full-time classes, you shouldn’t work more than a part-time job. If you have no choice but to work full-time during college, think about cutting back to a part-time course load. Burning the candle at both ends by working full-time and taking a full load of classes will only leave you burned out and leaving all of your endeavors to suffer.