Tips for balancing a part time job and a full time student?

Were you able to request which days and at what times you would be working?

I always went to school M-F, which I know most students hate with an undying passion. For me, however, I wanted to be on campus for a couple hours and at work for a couple hours every day. My evenings were always free and dedicated to homework. I also had to account for transportation since I took the bus to school every day.

So when synching your schedules, I would recommend focusing on what time you need for each area. How much time do you anticipate needing for homework this quarter? How long is your commute to school and work? Would you prefer to go to class and work no the same days, or have separate days for each?

You should also anticipate a decrease in your social life. It’s just going to naturally happen. In order to reduce your stress levels, it may be helpful to set aside specific days where you will get out of the house and go do something fun without worrying at all about work and school. For the rest of the days, set aside only 1–2 hour chunks that will be for hobbies, going out for fun, etc.

Also, be flexible. You may begin the quarter thinking you have the perfect schedule mapped out, but something will happen. Something always happens. So count on losing that time you set aside for writing that paper or finishing the reading. You’re bound to have some nights where you end up cramming anyway.

Finally, get a good calendar app for your phone, but also keep a paper planner. It can’t hurt to have multiple mediums to keep track of all your tasks until you figure out which system works best for you.

No advice. Just wanted to say how nice it is to see a young person enjoy work and choose to work, and also who wants to continue to study. Just nice to read.

My last two quarters of school I was working 32 hours a week, and taking 20 units. And I got my best grades! The way I did it was to schedule my entire quarter, so that I didn’t waste any time.

I took the hours grid from the schedule of classes, extended it to 11 at night and added a column for Saturday and Sunday, and a copy for each week. And then I filled in my classes and my work schedule. After that any holes in the day and evening were slated for studying. I also put in some hours each week for partying, because I knew I needed to give myself some free time/relaxation.

I also planned to do as much studying in the library as possible, even just reading, because I knew I needed to do that to keep myself focused.

Good luck! You can do it!

@Wine Nice, glad to see the work ethic. Make school the first priority and make sure you get time to complete your assignments and get your studying in. Be upfront with your supervisor at work and keep them informed of what’s going on. I worked a full time job while I was a senior in high school. It gave me a good start on my college fund, but it made the end of school tough. Don’t work too many hours at the expense of school. It’s what’s important.

It is possible to do without the other suffering. However, if you start to feel like its wearing you down, cut back. As a person who took 6 college courses, and worked 2 jobs working a combined nearly 75 hours a week, it takes a toll on your health. Stress can cause major problems and I became so stressed that I actually ended up getting sick for weeks.

I feel your pain. I currently work 30 hours a week and am taking 18 credits (2 of which being labs)

It’s going to be a rough semester for me.

When I was in college, I had a part-time job as a school-bus driver, which was perfect. I was able to carry my full load, and I was also able to schedule all my classes (except one night class, required) to occur between the morning routes and evening routes. Even though I lived off-campus, I spent more time on campus than I did at home.