School. Food. Clothes. Books. Deodorant. Caffeine. College students require all or most of these necessities. The problem? All of these things cost money. While some students are fortunate enough to have financially supportive families, many have to pay their own way to make it. According to Brockport.edu, the number of college students from the ages of 16 to 24 in the work force has increased from 49 to 57 percent since 1984. UM-St. Louis students are part of this young, working class of citizens. Kelly Stokes, junior, electrical engineering, works part-time at White Castle and attends school full-time. "I work on weekends. I don't have any Friday classes, so that [gives me extra time]. I study during the week," Stokes said. Time management is a crucial part of balancing work and school. Brandt Ryder, graduate student, biology, earns money working for the University as a teaching assistant. "As a T.A., it's hard to balance work and school. I always have students asking questions and sending me emails. I try to allocate time to grade papers and prepare labs. Once I hit that threshold, I don't work anymore. That strategy has worked so far," he said. Studies have shown that working part-time can actually benefit students. Rather than watching television or sitting around, students challenge themselves while earning money. For those who are employed by the University, jobs can further their educational experience. Working in their field of interest provides students a chance to gain experience and build a field-specific resume. Full-time employment can have a negative affect on schoolwork. A job can limit a student's options when it comes to scheduling classes. Students who work full-time may also be inclined to take on a lighter class load and decrease the number of courses they take. Students who work full-time are more likely to drop out of school than those who work part-time or not at all. Maintaining a job can decrease or eliminate procrastination. Many students who work understand that "if it doesn't get done now, it won't get done." With the rush of everyday life that college provides, students need a break every now and then. Working can take a large chunk out of that much-needed free time. "I find [balancing work and school] very difficult because whenever I need to be studying, I have to work. I have to make time to relax so I don't go insane. Things can get pretty hectic," said Justin Stein, freshman, history. Virginia's George Mason University offers some tips at gmu.edu to students about managing time, such as: 1. Put together a personal time chart. This survey should include sleep time, time spent on personal hygiene and grooming, time spent on eating, travel time, time spent on planned activities and number of hours spent in class and work 2. Figure out your study needs. Plan on two hours of studying for easy classes, three for somewhat challenging classes and four for hard classes. 3. Plan out your daily schedule. Schedule in the unavoidable activities such as classes, work and eating. Fill in the spaces with extracurricular activities and your allotted study time. 4. Don't be a perfectionist. Accept the fact that you cannot be absolutely perfect in all that you do. Instead, set achievable goals for yourself. 5. Learn to say no. Donating your time to everyone is a mistake that will inevitably lead to a burnout. Limit your commitments to what you can handle without risking a mental breakdown. 6. Prioritize. Make a list of activities in your life and categorize them into most important, somewhat important and least important. 7. Combine activities. Review notes while eating lunch. Make mental lists of important activities while folding laundry. Working, whether out of necessity or preference, can be a great way to enrich the overall college experience. However, a job should not take precedence over education. After all, college is much of what we're working to pay for.
Will work for food
Published: Monday, April 21, 2003
Updated: Saturday, October 10, 2009
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