As tuition prices increase, textbooks get more expensive, bills pile up, and your wallet gets lighter and lighter with less and less extra spending cash, you’re left with the necessary evil of most college students: job hunting. Although most college students see this as a roadblock to making the most out of their college career, juggling a job and college is not all that bad! Here are 5 tips for a working college student.
1.     Stay Organized: With a busy schedule, your planner is your best friend. By seeing exactly what you have to do, little things (like that quiz due at midnight) won’t slip your mind as easily. Use binders and dividers to organize your workload so you’re not searching frantically for a test review or syllabus at the last moment. Although planning out basically every moment of your life might seem a little depressing, it will truly make life a hundred times easier and stress-free!
2.     Take time off: Remember: Even though your job is what keeps the cash flowing, it is also important to have some “me time.” It doesn’t make you a horrible person to take the weekend off to go on vacation with your family, or to attend a football game. After all, you are in college! You don’t want to look back with regrets. Once you know all important dates for the year (birthday parties, football games, socials, vacations, holidays, etc.), try to take off for some of them. However, be aware that it is inevitable to have to work days you don’t want.
3.      Look at it in a positive light:  Going into anything with a negative attitude only calls for negative experiences. Make friends at your workplace, meet new people, and try to somehow grow from it. Getting involved with a job or internship at a young age can only help you. You will be seen as a hard worker, ultimately making you more wanted in the real world. Don’t forget, you’re getting paid to work! All your hard work will be rewarded in the end with a nice paycheck.
4.     Multitask: Just because you have a job and are also worrying about how to keep your GPA up, doesn’t mean you have to completely say “so long” to your social life. Intermix your job and school with your friends. If you work at a bar, have your friends come sit in front of your well. If you have a test to study for, get a group of people to grab a study room and suffer together instead of putting in those long hours at the library alone. If you have downtime at work, try to review some flashcards or read a few pages in your textbook.
5.     Pick your class schedule carefully: If possible, try to make your classes all on either two or three days. Having to rush from class, to work, to class again is just hectic and stressful. If you only have to spend a couple days on campus, that leaves the rest of the week open for your work schedule! Even better, shoot for enrolling in some online classes. Having online classes gives you the flexibility to watch lectures and complete assignments on your own time.