Today, many students are beginning to work while in college. Over the past few years, tuition, room and board, and other school expenses have become more and more expensive. There are many types of financial aid available, such as loans, government grants, and scholarships that could help me pay for my college education. However, some of us are not lucky enough to receive “free money” from the government or a scholarship. For people like me who need to take out a loan in order to get through college, a job is necessary to make the monthly payments. I recently started my first semester in college to hopefully major in business administration in a couple years. I also got myself a part-time job managing finances at my brother’s body shop to pay for some expenses and carry some extra money. Through my experiences combining work and college, I have noticed there are many struggles, great ways to manage those struggles, and great benefits,
Combining work and college has its struggles. There is usually not enough time to finish what I have to do. For example, I work four hours in the afternoon, three to four times a week and usually have to stay up past midnight to finish homework or find time to study. It can also be very stressful. Sometimes when I’m at work I start thinking of things that are due the next day at school, but still had not finished. It causes me not to concentrate at work and gets me worried thinking that I might not be able to finish on time.
I have recently found a few ways to help myself manage work and attend school. By focusing and setting my mind to what needs to be done, I have gotten things done faster. Focusing takes my mind away from problems and other things that I have going on in my life. For instance, while I’m at work I stop thinking about school and while I’m in school I stop thinking about work. Taking one step at a time has helped me stay on track. Another way to manage through work and school is to