While attending college, students have a tendency to need and spend a lot of money. Between the cost of tuition and textbooks, as well as room and board if you decide to live on campus, many college students may find themselves running low on funds for other things outside their college life. As a result, students may find it necessary or advantageous to get a job while attending college.
A majority of students that get jobs while at school, do it in order to have a stable source of income. One such student is Alexis Brady, a junior visual arts major. Brady stated that she enjoys “having a job that is close to campus because [she is] able to spend a few hours a week working so [she doesn’t] have to worry about not having money to go out and do things with friends or being able to buy any school supplies that [she needs] throughout the semester.”
For other students, getting a job while going to college is not only about having a source of income, but is also about gaining experience. Paige Matthews, a junior social work major, explained that “while being able to work is nice, [her] main focus is to gain experience in hopes of having better career opportunities after leaving college.”
“By having a part-time job now, I hope to be able to have a job waiting once I graduate,” she added.
However, not everyone agrees with the idea of having a job while going to college. Nikki Kehl, a sophomore computer science major, stated that “having a job while trying to balance all of your classes is not a great idea. A job can add more stress on top of the stress normally caused by school. Having a job will also take away from time that may be needed to study, especially for harder or higher level classes.”
Not everyone agrees with Kehl however. Some students believe that it is possible to balance academics and a job, while still having time for social events and other things. Furthermore, while the income or experience may be what motivates some students to get a job while attending college, other students find that it gives them something else to focus on aside from their studies.
One of these students is Chloe Sauma, a freshman film communications major. Sauma stated that “working while going to college can be a good thing as long as you are able to balance the job with your academics.”
“By having a job, I am able to focus on something other than academics for a while and forget about the stress of grades,” she continued. Sauma firmly believes that all students are capable of having a job while attending school.
Overall, a majority of students believe that all students are capable of, and will also benefit from, having a job while also going to college. Students should, at the very least, apply for jobs while still in college, as the opportunity could only help better their future.
