Headed
For College: Working
in School
If you don't have to work your way through school,
thank your lucky stars every day of your educational
career. Otherwise, you've got some decisions to
make.
Amount of work
First you need to consider how much
you can work. Decide how much time
you need to go to classes and study, how much
time you need
to sleep and add in some extra
time to relax. What's left over is what you can
work.
If you can't seem to balance all
that you need to do - working enough
to pay for school while finding
the time to study - consider
alternating semesters. Work for
a semester to save for school then
go to school the next semester and
so on. It will obviously increase
the length of time you're in
school, but it will benefit you in
the long run with better grades
and less debt.
The hours
You'll need to make your work
and class schedule fit together.
If you find a job during
the day, make sure the classes
you need to take are available
in the evening. You may need
a job with flexible hours to allow
you to attend class and study
for large chunks of
time.
Pay
Better paying jobs usually
come with sacrifice. You
may need to work late hours.
Or early
hours. Or you have to give
up your weekends. But never sacrifice
study time
in favor
of a higher
paying job. What good is working
to pay your tuition and then
flunking out?
Interests
No one expects you to stay
at one job all through
college. College is a great time
to explore different career interests
you have. Think of all the things
that interest you and see if you
can find a job related
to those interests.
How to find
a job
The best referral source
to find a job can be your
friends or family. To get some experience
in your field of study,
ask your professors
and faculty for ideas.
Stop by your favorite stores and
ask if they're hiring.
Campus bulletins and career centers often
are good outlets for job
leads. Try a temp agency and let someone
else find you
a job. And, of course,
there's the classifieds section of
the newspapers. If your
school has its own newspaper,
the advertised job listings
may be more suited to the
life of a college student. |
