With the economy in neutral, taxes rising and job creation still uninspiring, many students are finding jobs in order to pay for tuition or gain experience.
Whatever the reason, it is important to know the pros and cons of working while enrolled in classes before agreeing to employment.
In 2010, 40 percent of full-time college students were employed, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Throughout the year, 17 percent worked 20-34 hours per week and the percentage of students working 35 hours or more would fluctuate between 6 and 9 percent.
It is crucial to keep in mind while balancing a part-time job and being a full-time student, where the student decides to work is not as important as how much they decide to work.
Niki Belle, a freshmen biology and chemistry major, recently acquired a job working at California Baptist University’s Recreation Center. She works 6-10 hours a week and teaches multiple fitness classes.
Belle said she feels overall, it has been positive experience because she has been able to pay for college expenses.
While Belle has benefited greatly from this experience, she found that “it is extremely hard to manage time for a job, being a student-athlete and finding time to study and complete homework while still making time for friends.”
Having a job can either help or hinder one’s time-management skills. Where students falter most is trying to decide what is most important and how to manage the increased amount of stress and pressure.
Olivia Meza, senior kinesiology major, has learned from her work experience. She carries a planner and a 24-hour weekly Excel sheet so she can plug in her work, class and internship schedules.
“This way I can see my free hours I have for sleeping, studying and exercise time,” Meza said.
Working has helped her to stop procrastinating because she cannot afford to waste time.
Between studying, classes, work, school activities and having a social life, situations can become stressful.
Jennifer Godinez, junior pre-nursing major, works around 30 hours a week for the Department of Public Safety.
Godinez says she feels “stressed out all the time” and working is somewhat a negative thing for her school work and social life.
Students should look for the perks in a job that extend well past graduation, despite what a complete college experience and extra monthly income can bring.
Being employed creates an opportunity to develop professional skills, such as teamwork, communication skills and customer service.
These are skills students can carry with them for the rest of their professional lives.
Being able to balance long work hours and other college experiences can help a student graduate with the skills needed to enter the competitive workforce and make an impression on future employers.
