Students balance full-time school and work
For some students at Utah State University it’s easy to maintain good academic standing while keeping a job. Others find their class loads too taxing to have a job. But for some, working 30 or more hours a week while maintaining a full class schedule is a reality.
According to a 2011 census report, over 70 percent of undergraduate students nationally work while attending school; one in five of those students were working full time.
Abbie Fuit, a freshman majoring in psychology, began her full-time college experience also working full-time as a receptionist for a welding company in Cove, Utah.
“It’s actually been a lot harder than I thought it was going to be, honestly,” Fuit said.
Fuit is having to pay for her schooling, housing and most other expenses without parental help. Covering the cost of tuition is a major reason why she, along with some students, are choosing to clock almost double the hours of a part-time job.
Joe Killpack, a senior majoring in computer science, said he works about 45 hours a week at Call Assistant in Logan while taking 12 credits. He’s been going to school and working full time for the last two and a half years; his main motivation is to graduate with his undergraduate degree without any student loans. So far, he’s been successful.
“I would definitely cut my hours back if school didn’t cost as much as it did,” he said. “But if you want to remain debt free, there isn’t another way to do that besides getting a scholarship.”
Talia Pratte, a full-time student and senior majoring in technical writing, has two part-time jobs; between the two she clocks almost 50 hours a week. She works at the Developmental Skills Lab in Logan and as an assistant for a disabled woman.
Pratte also works full time to pay for school but, even if it wasn’t necessary, she said she’d still consider doing so.
“It helps that their jobs I love and are things I would day anyway,” she said. “I love my coworkers and the participants I work for, so it’s not drudgery and I enjoy going into work. I never wake up not wanting to go into work, so that helps.”
Killpack said he enjoys the realm of academia and his typically laid back personality helps him avoid mass amounts of stress. But, by the end of the semester, he typically finds himself burnt out.
“It’s not terrible, but it’s not easy,” Killpack said. “It was easier the first two years (of school) but now I’m staring to get into the higher level classes and it’s starting to get real difficult, so we’ll have to see how things go the next two semesters. I can manage it for the most part, but by the end of the semester, I don’t want anything to do with either.”
LuAnn Helms, assistant director of Counseling and Psychological Services on campus, said students should consider if they really need to work full-time while in school. But if there’s no other option, being able to “switch gears” and focus on one task at a time is important.
“If you have to do both, really try to pay attention to what you’re doing and the time you’re doing it,” she said. “When you’re at work, try not to think too much about school if possible…Try to find some enjoyment in what you’re doing, whether that’s work or school.”
Helms offered tips for students who feel overwhelmed by their work and school responsibilities; getting enough sleep and maintaining healthy sleeping habits are important when managing stress.
“If they don’t take time to take care of themselves they’re much more likely to get sick and they lose time that way,” she said. “Or maybe they have a short fuse and say something they wish they hadn’t and have to take time to repair a relationship because they were too stressed out.”
The CAPS office offers many resources for students needing help to navigate the stress of keeping a busy schedule. For those who don’t have the time to sit in a session with a psychologist, there are online resources available. Under the “Self Help” tab on the office’s website are a series of 15 to 20-minute videos to help students navigate stress, anxiety and other emotional issues.
Helms suggests watching one video a week, practicing the methods in the video throughout the week.
Fuit said staying organized has helped her be successful while having a crazy schedule; taking detailed notes while in class and using a Google calendar has been a big help.
“If I didn’t have that I would be all over the place,” she said. “Organization right now is the biggest key for me.”
Killpack said keeping a calendar with dates of assignments has also helped him to be successful, as well as knowing when to make time to be away from homework.
“Know when to take a break and know when to buckle down.”
–manda.perkins@hotmail.com
Twitter: @Perkins_manda