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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Full-Time Times 2: Working While Attending School

It is not uncommon for people to “work their way through college.”  In fact, many students worked part-time through high school and even if they have money to pay for their higher education they work part-time in college as well.   Working while attending school can be challenging, but it can also be managed.  There are several options when it comes to working while attending school.


Part-Time Work with a Full-Time Course-Load:

This is probably the most commonly used pathway.  Many students get part-time work and take a full work-load of classes. This pathway is desirable because you can earn money, have time to study, and have time for yourself.  The downside is that if you need a large amount of money to pay for classes you probably won’t make enough money to cover the bills.

Full-Time Work with a Part-Time Course-Load:

This common pathway has multiple benefits. Because you work full-time you are more likely to make an adequate amount of money to pay for tuition and living expenses.  Since you are attending school part-time your tuition costs are cut in half each year.  You still have a decent work/life balance. The down-side is this will extend your college experience by at least a couple years even if you take summer classes.

Full-Time Work with a Full-Time Course-Load:

This pathway is not for the faint of heart.  You must be a focused individual with the ability to manage your time efficiently.  There is little time for you and having fun, let alone participating in campus life (clubs, sports, intramurals, etc.).  The advantages are you are more likely to make enough money to pay for living expenses and tuition costs and you get to keep the commonly desired four year graduation pace.

I have taken advantage of the full-time employment and full-time work.  There are ways to make it more manageable.  Take advantage of online classes when possible; take advantage of time lulls by doing homework or reading your text book (lull times include sitting on the shuttle bus from parking lots to campus and waiting for professors to start class).  Try to work at a job where you are allowed to do homework when there is downtime (the security industry is often a great choice).  Pick a job that is a swing shift (late afternoon start time) or overnight shift so you have more class options; and opt for weekends and long shifts (10 and 12 hours).    I have also worked multiple part-time jobs at the same time…trust me this is not preferable to one full-time job. Since I have learned to manage my schedule and my time I am able to participate in on campus clubs and have a bit of a personal life.

Now that we have completed the pathways it is time to start learning about more details of paying for school.  Tune in tomorrow to start learning about money strategies.




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