Whether you’re helping out with tuition or your college budget just won’t cut it, off-campus work can be helpful. However, it’s not always easy keeping up with a job and everything that comes along with school. Here are some tips to balance your job and college life:
- Plan work days around your class schedule
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No matter how much you need that extra cash, school always comes first. Make sure you look at your class schedule before finalizing your work schedule.
- Take your days off well in advance
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If you know you have an important event coming up at school, change your availability for that day as soon as you find out. It can be sticky finding someone to cover your shift and you don’t want to have to call out, so the best policy is closing your availability for the day before the schedule is made.
- Plan for sleep
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While it may be reasonable to work a late shift after classes, make sure you still have time to catch some z’s before class the next day. Last semester, I was constantly scheduled for 4 p.m. -midnight shifts on weekdays knowing I had a 9:15 the next morning, and it was torture! Trust me, it’s not worth it.
- Use your calendar
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I basically rely on my phone’s calendar to keep track of all of my endeavors. Whenever I schedule my classes, I add those in before the semester starts. My job uses an app that lets me download my work schedule into my phone’s calendar. It can be hard to remember when you’re supposed to be where, so put that resource to good use!