Going to school full-time is stressful enough; however, adding a job on top of your workload considers great time management skills, a gift to prioritize and a high level of determination.
I had a steady job throughout high school, but that is nothing compared to handling a job in college. This time, at least for me, I have bills to pay, rent to meet and Penn State tuition to pay every semester.
Having a busier class schedule and becoming a member for a few clubs here at Penn State, it is hard to work as much as I would like to. However, I still manage to work at least one to two days a week during the semester.
While it can be tricky, at first, finding your rhythm with a new schedule to maneuver, a new environment to adapt to and new responsibilities on your plate, there are so many benefits to having a part-time job outside of school that I would not trade for anything.
I may be a server at Texas Roadhouse, but the lessons, morals and experiences I have gathered from working here have helped handle my stress, time management skills and teach me overall multitasking abilities. Here, I’ll explain:
Having somewhere to escape to like a work environment that keeps your mind occupied with something other than your daily school life is like taking a breath of fresh air early in the mornings after a big snow storm. It is refreshing, is what I am trying to say.
While at work, your brain is still doing something productive, but in a different way compared to your usual school work. It feels this way for me as I greet tables full of friendly faces, prepare dishes and attend to my customers.
It is not glamorous, but it helps get me away from my computer and distract me from other responsibilities pending on my mind. Oh, and the money is a great benefit as well as contributing to reducing stress!
Furthermore, balancing a job with classes teaches you a lot of time management. Especially with a job in the food industry like me, you work long, consecutive shifts that usually start early evening, if not mid-late afternoon. This allows you to manage turning in assignments before shifts and know when and what to prepare for tomorrow’s school tasks.
The list could go on and on about how much a job like this teaches you time management skills. To list a few, servers are expected to control three to five tables, usually ranging between fitting four to nine people, prepare dishes, run trays of drinks, entrees, salads, appetizers, pre-bus our tables, etc. Like I said, the list could go on and on.
All these things help train the brain to list things on your “To-Do” list from most important to least important. Yes, you may have seven different things you could be doing right now, but the “what is most necessary?” is a question you should be asking yourself.
Learning this skill helped me apply it in school settings and really allowed myself to continue through endeavors with ease.
Like I said, no job in college is necessarily going to be glamorous and the best job you ever had, but you will benefit from its advantages on top of getting that bag!