“College is hard… but it’d be a lot harder if I didn’t have a job,” says Ameearah Tolentino–a 4th year microbiology major. She describes, “[Being able work has] given me the opportunity to learn something different from all of the people that I meet. It’s allowed me to develop and grow as a person through all of the interactions I’ve had with so many amazing and knowledgeable people.”
Though there is one little thing she wishes she would’ve done differently…
1. On average, how many hours do you work a week?
I work about 30-35 hours per week.
2. How important do you think having a job is in college? How has being both a full-time student and a full-time worker affected your experience at UCSB?
I honestly think working while you’re in college is extremely important because it teaches you discipline and how to manage your time well. Being a full-time student and nearly a full-time worker has helped me work a lot more diligently and productively in the time that I have to do my homework. I think it’s also helped me a lot in getting to know people in the Santa Barbara community and discern what I want to do after I graduate college. Sometimes it can be really hard balancing work and school but for the most part, I would say that there’s been so much good that has come out of working two jobs.
3. Do you have time to chill? How do you find the time? Teach us your ways…
Yeah, I have time to chill… sometimes. Haha. I think that usually I like to plan things out ahead of time so I know how much studying and work I need to get done before I just chill with my friends. Most of the time I like to get ahead of the game in my school work so I have time on the weekends to hang out and do other fun stuff.
4. With such a busy schedule, it can be easy to bring stress to your workplace. What is the one thing that you remind yourself of to help you keep a positive attitude at work?
Whenever I’m really stressed I always remind myself of the reasons why I work and do everything that I do in the first place. I want to bring greater glory to God using the gifts that He’s given me to learn from others and serve them. I like to remind myself the following verse from Scripture: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45). Along with serving others, my jobs as a medical assistant and server have given me the opportunity to learn something different from all of the people that I meet. It’s allowed me to develop and grow as a person through all of the interactions I’ve had with so many amazing and knowledgeable people.
5. If you could go back in time, would you do this all over again? What would you change?
Honestly, yeah. I would definitely do it all over again and I don’t think there’s anything I would change. I think that working two jobs has taught me so much about myself and what I’m capable of and it’s made me proud knowing that I’ve been able to balance work and school throughout my entire college career (with the help of Jesus, of course). If I HAD to change something, I think I would dedicate more time to praying and asking for more help from Christ to carry me along the way while I try to balance my crazy life, but overall, I would say that my working experience in college has only made me a stronger person :)