Being a college student is one big catch-22: you either have enough time to study and socialize, but never enough money to enjoy life, or you have a job (therefore money to enjoy life) but no time to study. This is the unfortunate reality for many students such as myself, and some days it can be tough. Even so, there are a few things I like to do to help me manage it. Balancing a job and college is challenging, but there are great lessons and tools that come from doing both.Â
One thing that keeps me sane is giving myself little reminders to shift my perspective. First and foremost, having a job in college can make all the difference on your resume once you graduate. While it’s definitely hard at the moment, being able to talk about the soft skills you developed such as communication and teamwork can be the difference between getting the job or not. Having to balance both also forces you to develop time management skills and maintain a high level of discipline, both of which are invaluable when it comes to today’s job industry.Â
Secondly, the ability to grab a sweet treat at any given moment can truly be the difference between losing your mind and staying positive throughout the day! Having a job can mean you have that spare five dollars to spend on a drink from Dunkin (in my case, a medium vanilla creme cold brew aka the BEST Dunkin drink!) or treating yourself to lunch. As a fellow broke college student, let me tell you, you don’t realize the difference that a five-dollar drink can make until you have it. Sometimes I need to take a moment to appreciate the fact that I can afford to treat myself every now and then, and the shift in my mindset changes the tone I have when I approach work.Â
I know how cliche this is, but having the need to pay for textbooks, homework platforms and tuition itself is a privilege. College isn’t an option for everyone and the fact that I work to help pay for my schooling, and not to survive, means I am one of the ones fortunate enough to be where I am today. What you get out of your circumstances is up to you, and a perspective shift can be all the difference in where your hard work lands you.