What should I do this semester with my two jobs and grad school?
Asked by
curiousk (
128
)
September 3rd, 2009
So, because of several personal circumstances, I am in these huge predicaments that have to do with my two jobs and grad school.
I have two jobs (neither of which are related to my field by the way), and Im registered for three classes (Master’s degree). I was offered this other job on weekends, which means that if I want to take it, I might need to quit one of the other two. I need both jobs because I need $ to survive and I cannot drop classes anymore because the deadline is over (so if I drop a class I will lose 25% of my tuition). Plus, Im only 5 classes away from my Master’s degree.
My problem this: which job do I quit and which do I keep? Waitressing 1–2 days a week (which will make me anywhere from $200–400), my community organizing job 4 days a week (that only pays me $250 a week [non-profit sector]) and or hostessing on weekends (I might make $12–14hr).
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5 Answers
Most lucrative and least demanding of brain activity.
If you are looking at it in a purely economic sense, then you would drop the community organizing job because it pays less but takes more hours. As @gailcalled says, you also need to look at which job exhausts you the most and consider dropping that so you can be sure to complete your Master’s coursework. OTOH, you might also look at which job makes you feel best about yourself no matter what it earns, and keep that one as long as you can still pay the bills.
In order to make a decision, convert all three jobs to earnings per hour. If waitressing is paying $200 per 8 hour commitment, then you’re earning $25 per hour. If organizing is 4 days at 8 hours per day for $250 then you’re earning $7.81 per hour. If you hostess on the weekend, you’re earning an average of $13 an hour.
Since school is a priority, you need to first pick the work that accommodates your school schedule and still leaves time to study. If you’re going to school 3 nights a week, waiting tables on 2 nights, then at $13 an your, you can hostess on the weekend, and have your days free to do your school work, and still make just about the same money you would with the organizing.
Sometimes jobs like community organizing cross the line into volunteer work with a stipend. It doesn’t sound like you’re in a position at the moment to give time away, as you sound time-constrained.
Thank you all. I guess my bigger dilemma was figuring out what job is more important: income vs stress/time consuming and nwhich two will work better with school.
If you have 5 classes left, you should be cranking out that thesis. That will take time.
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