8 answers
Tyrone
Student
Miami Gardens, Florida
6
Questions
Asked
587 views
Can people have a job and still be in college
#college-bound
Login to comment
8 answers
Gloria Ortiz
Instructional Designer
842
Answers
Irving, Texas
Updated
Gloria’s Answer
Hi Tyrone,
The short answer is yes. Your challenge is going to be balancing the time between the two.
My two nephews both worked at their respective universities to help pay for their education. I think that this was brilliant because they lived on campus so they were very close to their jobs. In addition, the people at the university understood that they were going to school, so they were flexible with schedules and even allowed them to study during their down time at the job.
When I was in college, I worked at a full time job that was not on campus. That meant school was at night and homework was done on the weekends. To make it work without going crazy, I had to think about college differently than some of my friends. I went to the University of Phoenix which had programs where you took one class at a time and you earned credit for the class in like 6 weeks rather than over a semester. The other element was that there was no summer break. You went to school all year around. You would get the same number of credits in a year as a traditional school, but the pace allowed me to feel comfortable with the pace. It was not the full time class load of three to four classes all at once during a semester. So if you are concerned about being overwhelmed, consider universities with programs that cater to people who have full time jobs.
Gloria
The short answer is yes. Your challenge is going to be balancing the time between the two.
My two nephews both worked at their respective universities to help pay for their education. I think that this was brilliant because they lived on campus so they were very close to their jobs. In addition, the people at the university understood that they were going to school, so they were flexible with schedules and even allowed them to study during their down time at the job.
When I was in college, I worked at a full time job that was not on campus. That meant school was at night and homework was done on the weekends. To make it work without going crazy, I had to think about college differently than some of my friends. I went to the University of Phoenix which had programs where you took one class at a time and you earned credit for the class in like 6 weeks rather than over a semester. The other element was that there was no summer break. You went to school all year around. You would get the same number of credits in a year as a traditional school, but the pace allowed me to feel comfortable with the pace. It was not the full time class load of three to four classes all at once during a semester. So if you are concerned about being overwhelmed, consider universities with programs that cater to people who have full time jobs.
Gloria
Jordan Grant
Compliance Analyst
1
Answer
Denver, Colorado
Updated
Jordan’s Answer
Excellent question. First off it is not easy balancing time between the job and your studies. Motivation is key in this area as you need to stay involved in both areas. If you are currently struggling dealing with your studies, they should come first before a job. Colleges and Universities have resources available to help you manage your class load and job. Hybrid models such as online classes can help balance between school and work. Also a number of universities and colleges have night and weekend classes that can help fit into your work schedule. You can spread out your studies to accommodate your job. Lastly, colleges employ a lot of students on campus and those jobs do take into consideration your class load and schedule.
In short, you can do both. Best of luck!
In short, you can do both. Best of luck!
Cosmina Backs
Commercial Account Manager
11
Answers
Austin, Texas
Updated
Cosmina’s Answer
Tyrone,
Yes, you definitely can have a job while in college! You will have to make sure your job knows you are still in school and will only be working part-time. Sophomore year of college, I worked at my school's dining hall. I worked about four times a week for 6 hours, serving meals to students. There were stressful times when I wanted to study instead of work, but I am glad I stuck with it to make extra money on the side. A lot of my friends had jobs in college! As long as your company knows you need to be flexible and, depending on the course load you are taking, it is attainable! Best of luck.
Yes, you definitely can have a job while in college! You will have to make sure your job knows you are still in school and will only be working part-time. Sophomore year of college, I worked at my school's dining hall. I worked about four times a week for 6 hours, serving meals to students. There were stressful times when I wanted to study instead of work, but I am glad I stuck with it to make extra money on the side. A lot of my friends had jobs in college! As long as your company knows you need to be flexible and, depending on the course load you are taking, it is attainable! Best of luck.
Carla Nelson
Community Relations Specialist
25
Answers
Washington, Washington
Updated
Carla’s Answer
Yes, this is definitely possible. When I was in the military, I went to school at night. It was my goal to receive a Bachelor's Degree before I got out of the Army and I was determined to meet that goal. If you stay focused and keep what's important on the top of your priority list, you will able to accomplish all of your goals with some discipline. Good luck!
Mike Wheeler
Sales
2
Answers
Columbus, Ohio
Updated
Mike’s Answer
Hey Tyrone,
My take is absolutely! It's certainly more challenging for some areas of study than others but it can be done nonetheless. I found it to be incredibly rewarding to work during college because it made me feel extremely productive and obviously left me with some spending money on the weekends.
My advice for any student looking to work during college is to get really organized about time management. I used Google Calendar to keep all of my work, social, and school schedules aligned so that I wouldn't double book myself and I had very few issues while still enjoying the fun parts of being in school.
Best of luck!
My take is absolutely! It's certainly more challenging for some areas of study than others but it can be done nonetheless. I found it to be incredibly rewarding to work during college because it made me feel extremely productive and obviously left me with some spending money on the weekends.
My advice for any student looking to work during college is to get really organized about time management. I used Google Calendar to keep all of my work, social, and school schedules aligned so that I wouldn't double book myself and I had very few issues while still enjoying the fun parts of being in school.
Best of luck!
Philip Stec
Analyst
5
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Philip’s Answer
I will echo what the previous replies have said - yes, it is certainly possible and it will require discipline and planning.
One point I would add from my own experience is to explore employment opportunities with companies in your field of study if possible. Your career services office might be able to help find these types of roles. During my senior year I worked three days a week with classes on the other two and evenings at the company that ended up hiring me full time after I graduated. The professional experience was fantastic and the money was better than what I could have made working on campus.
One point I would add from my own experience is to explore employment opportunities with companies in your field of study if possible. Your career services office might be able to help find these types of roles. During my senior year I worked three days a week with classes on the other two and evenings at the company that ended up hiring me full time after I graduated. The professional experience was fantastic and the money was better than what I could have made working on campus.
Yasemin G.
Aspiring physician
635
Answers
Updated
Yasemin’s Answer
Hi Tyrone! Of course you can! I had three jobs actually in college- it seems like a lot but two of them were on campus and it definitely helped me a lot especially financially. I didn't plan to have three jobs at first, but in the end it worked out- one of them was work study which you can answer yes to on FAFSA. I would suggest as others did to plan accordingly with your class schedule and if you can have a job on campus I would go for that option first because the commute would be much simpler. I think having a job does help with staying committed to your studies and makes one more responsible and independent especially financially!
I hope this gives a good idea and helps!
Best of luck!
I hope this gives a good idea and helps!
Best of luck!
Michelle Moreno
Software testing
15
Answers
Austin, Texas
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hi Tyrone, as a working student during college, I can definitely say this is truly possible. My tips for you:
1. Adjust your schedule to be able to fit work. For example, you can have all your classes in the morning, work in the afternoon, and study at night.
2. Be very intentional about your time. This is where effective time management will be very, very useful.
3. Find a job that'll work with your schedule. For example, you don't want a full time job but more of a part time job with adjustable schedule depending on your school load.
4. Know your WHY. If you're working to support college, then your studies should be your priority. I won't sugarcoat because it will be HARD to juggle both. You'll feel like giving up your studies because it feels good to earn money. Keeping your WHY front and center will help you when times get tough.
Wishing you all the very best!
1. Adjust your schedule to be able to fit work. For example, you can have all your classes in the morning, work in the afternoon, and study at night.
2. Be very intentional about your time. This is where effective time management will be very, very useful.
3. Find a job that'll work with your schedule. For example, you don't want a full time job but more of a part time job with adjustable schedule depending on your school load.
4. Know your WHY. If you're working to support college, then your studies should be your priority. I won't sugarcoat because it will be HARD to juggle both. You'll feel like giving up your studies because it feels good to earn money. Keeping your WHY front and center will help you when times get tough.
Wishing you all the very best!