7 Tips On How To Manage College Life While Working
Although challenging at first, working while you’re a full-time college student is actually beneficial in the long run. Studying and working at the same time can keep you from unnecessary debts, teach you about time management, and provide valuable work experience. Working part-time can also help you manage your finances and expand your network.
Not a lot of students succeed in juggling work and studies. But, this doesn’t mean it’s impossible to do. If you’re planning to take the same route in the near future, here’s how you can effectively manage college life while working:
- Classes Should Always Be Top Priority
There are no set-in-stone rules when it comes to managing your college life while having a part-time job. In fact, you can easily juggle both responsibilities by always prioritizing your studies. Remember, you go to college to acquire knowledge and skills to help you graduate and earn a stable job in the future, and spending all of your time at work won’t help you achieve such goals.
For you to manage your college life while working, start by focusing on your school schedule first. This is especially important if you want to qualify for Arizona scholarships or other scholarships from world-class universities. Remember, your grades and degree are more important than a temporary job, so make sure to schedule work around your classes, and not the other way around.
- Always Stay Organized
Organization is key if you want to become an effective college student and part-time worker at the same time. When you know how to organize your schedule, you won’t have any problems studying for exams and showing up to work on time.
Depending on your preferences, you can download apps or manually track your schedule to stay organized. Set alarms to remind yourself of important events in school and work. Although convenient, never leave your schedule up to your memory because college life can become too hectic for you to remember everything.
- Make Sure Your Employer Knows About Your Availability
Regardless of how easy your work is, it’s always best to set your employer’s expectations and let them know that you’re a college student. Aside from preventing conflict in the future, telling your employer about your schedule as a college student is also a great way to create a positive relationship with them and gain their trust.
Once you receive your class schedule, inform your employer about it right away. You should also be transparent about your extracurricular activities and other responsibilities that might affect your work. The sooner you open up to your employer, the easier it’ll be for them to accommodate your scheduling needs.
- Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help
College is your opportunity to practice independence, but when you’re studying and working at the same time, it won’t hurt if you ask help from other people once in a while.
College life can get more complicated when you’re keeping a job because regardless of how organized your schedule is, surprises can happen along the way. You can never control when your professor will give pop quizzes or when your boss will ask you to work overtime.
When these things happen, don’t be afraid to ask help from other people. If you no longer have the time to study for an exam, hire a tutor or ask a colleague to help you out. If you can’t work overtime because you’ll have to finish certain requirements for school, reach out to a co-employee and have them cover for you.
- Don’t Overload Yourself
College students have limited finances, which is why they would often choose to take pick-up shifts on top of their regular work schedule. Sure, this might be a great way to earn more cash, but going overboard can create adverse effects on your performance at school and even to your overall health.
If you want to effectively manage your college while working, avoid overloading yourself with too much work. It’s important to check your schedule before accepting any pick-up shifts from colleagues. College is already stressful and demanding, and pushing your mind and body to work for longer hours can affect both of these responsibilities.
- Never Work In-Between Classes
There are many part-time jobs available for college students today. It’s now very easy for them to apply and work as a nanny, bookstore clerk, or barista in establishments near their universities.
When choosing a part-time job in college, it’s not enough that you only consider the proximity of the establishment to your university. You should also pay attention to your work schedule. Ideally, you should only choose a job that will require you to work either before your first class or after your last class. Sticking to this kind of schedule will allow you to show up to your classes and work on time.
Regardless of how competitive the rates are or how relaxed your class schedule is, never attempt to work in-between classes as this will only result in stress, as well as compromise your performance in both areas.
- Make Time For Yourself
College life is already stressful, and choosing to work while you study can just aggravate the whole situation. For you to continually have the motivation to study and work, don’t forget to make time for yourself. College is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and your work shouldn’t prevent you from enjoying this stage of your life.
Always give yourself enough time to make new friends, join organizations, and discover your passions while you’re in college. These activities are great stress relievers, and will surely make your college life more bearable and memorable.
It’s Easy When You Know How
Managing college life while working can be tough, but it can always be done. As long as you’re willing to make adjustments, it won’t be long before you can excel as a college student and part-time employee. Remember to put your studies on top of everything, keep things as organized as possible, never be ashamed to ask for help when the going gets tougher than you thought, and avoid taking too much workload. By doing these things, you’re on your way to surviving your college years with flying colors!
