“Should I get a job in college?”
It’s a new semester! With each new semester comes new responsibilities. These responsibilities range from making new friends to keeping up with classes. While we’ve had the last few weeks to adjust, syllabus week is over and its time to settle into the new school-year.
“I’m a broke college student”
A majority of us have heard this at some point, whether it be as a joke from a friend or a serious statement in regards to staying in for the night. With a little thing called “student loans” it’s no wonder that “broke college student” is a term most people in our society recognizes.
A pragmatic solution to this “being broke” thing would be to find a part-time job, right?
However, this isn’t always manageable for everyone. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before starting the job search:
- DO YOU HAVE TIME?
First and foremost, the most difficult part about working during the college years is not necessarily the job itself, but the time commitment that it becomes. One of the most difficult things in college is time management- classes and studying take up a majority of one’s time, so before deciding to get a job, it’s important to figure out how much time can be sacrificed, particularly if you have a demanding major or participate in school athletics.
- Can you manage work in addition to school?
This goes hand in hand with the time commitment of a job. Obviously a job has to work with a class schedule, but it is important to think about all of the commitments that school takes. There’s class time yes, but there’s also studying for exams, library-time, labs, etc. that are important to consider when applying. If the work-load of school is manageable with actually working, go for it!
- Can you make sacrifices?
This sounds more dramatic than it is. After determining if you can manage your work-load of classes with the time commitment of a job, ask yourself if you’re willing to give up your free time. This means maybe sometimes working instead of going out with friends. Sure, it isn’t fun to watch everyone’s snap story at that party you couldn’t go to, but it does feel nice leaving work knowing you’ve made some money, right?
While there are many questions to ask yourself before getting a job, these are the three most important. Not only is school a time-commitment, but it is expensive! Working a job during school can be rewarding, beneficial, and sometimes necessary. In order to be the best version of yourself at school and a potential job, it’s important to ask yourself these three questions before applying.