Working While in College
Not every student is luck enough to have their college and living expenses paid for. Loans can help out some, but more likely than not, if you are a student, you are going to have to work a part-time job at some point in your college career. Before you commence with the groaning, realize that working a job while in school is not a wholly negative thing. A part-time job can not only help out with your day-to-day expenses, it can also be wildly beneficial to your time management skills. “What?!?” you say. It’s true, though. Numerous studies have been done that show that students who work while in college tend to have higher GPAs and are better suited to the work force upon graduation. But, what kind of job can you possibly fit into your already crammed school schedule? Let’s look at the most popular options and the benefits of each.
Work Study: These jobs are available through the university and are great because they usually are in a library or office. This means you have quite a bit of down time to study. Also, because they are through the university, they work around your class schedule. Generally, you have weekends off and only have to work a few hours a week. The downside of this is that the money isn’t always all that great.
Retail: These are popular jobs for students because the hours are usually flexible and the money tends to be a little better than work-study jobs. You can work evenings and weekends and most come with some sort of discount that can help when you have to buy clothes or whatnot.
Service Industry: By far, these jobs tend to yield the most money for the shortest amount of hours worked. Serving and bartending is tip-based pay, so although the money isn’t always reliable in that you could make $20 one day and $100 the next depending on business, you can generally make a lot in a short period of time. The scheduling is flexible, and many people I know are able to make all their living expenses in two or three days, leaving them with plenty of time to study.
Obviously, the above three categories are just examples, and many others exist. All you need is a little creativity. If you need money, go out there and make it. School and work certainly are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they tend to be mutually beneficial.
If you're new here and like what you read, you may subscribe to our email alerts or RSS feed . Thanks for visiting!
