Employment and Schoolwork Create Healthy Balance
Mariella Angeles
Being a college student is difficult enough, but what happens when you add part-time employment into the mix?
Difficulties do ensue because of time management. It is a constant balancing act between homework and having to go to work.
School work and anything that has to do with college should always be priority. Being in college is an opportunity that should not be taken for granted. One should always set aside time to get assignments done in a timely matter. It is by far easier said than done, but school should come first.
For the balancing act, I purposely tried to have all of my classes in the morning and to be done with classes by noon. That gives me the entire afternoon to get any homework or studying done and allows me to work in the evening.
I am currently a part-time cashier at a grocery store in town. It is a welcoming job for college students and doesn’t require hard labor. I enjoy it due to the fact that it is a different setting from the usual staying in my dorm or being in class. I get to have conversations with townspeople that come on a regular basis and we therefore end up calling each other on a first-name basis.
The sense of community is strong, and when people go check out through my line, I feel a sense of genuine kindness. This is one of the big reasons I have decided to continue to work at grocery store. A lot of people are inquisitive and want to get to know me in a friendly way. I have even had a customer buy me flowers on two different occasions.
I also get to see many people from my classes, my friends and even many of my former and current professors. In general, I like to talk, so being a cashier is fitting. A grocery store can be extremely flexible with the schedules of college students as well. It does get hectic from time to time, but what job setting does not?
Senior exercise science major Kayla Michaels is also employed as a cashier at a grocery store. She purposely made her availability to go into work for the weekends so she can solely focus on school during the week. She likes that she is only able to work during the weekends because the extra pay is helpful and useful. She enjoys working on the weekends, especially in the mornings, because it makes her feel more productive instead of just sleeping in and doing nothing. As a senior, her course load can sometimes feel like a lot, but she makes it work by making sure she finishes her assignments and studies when she has the free time.
Katie Green, junior elementary education major, has an on-campus job in the registrar’s office. She assists the registrar and students that come by the Administration Building. She is also a student-athlete and plays for the women’s soccer team. She notes that having an on-campus job is convenient because she does not have to travel far, the registrar’s office works with her school schedule and that the extra money that she gets paid is always helpful.
She advises students to find employment that will genuinely work with their schedules and that a job while in school should not compromise or conflict with school work. She enjoys being behind the desk as a student and notes that she is gaining a lot of experience from her position. She likes to see the view from the perspective of the registrar and the registrar assistants.
Employment is great for having a change in scenery from the usual college setting, makes people more productive and the extra money is always a huge help.