If someone were to walk around Winona State University asking students If they had a job either on or off campus, most students would say “yes.” During the semester, and some during the summer, many students have school as well as at least one job, if not two, on top of a rigorous college schedule.
For some students having a job is a necessity that comes from a need to pay for rent, groceries and/or tuition. For others their job is a way to gain experience in the field that that intend to move into after college. However, for many people, not matter the reasons for needing a job, it can be hard to maintain balance between school, work and just being able to feel like they have enough time to simply catch a breath of fresh air.
Rachel Fredrick, a second-year legal studies major at Winona State works two jobs, both on and off campus, and balancing both jobs along with school and life can sometimes begin to feel like too much.
“It’s a really delicate balance between fulfilling all my responsibilities while also taking care of myself at the same time,” Fredrick said. “Often times it seems like every hour of my day is scheduled, which brings me to burn out pretty quickly. Just because I’m burnt out doesn’t mean I get to step away from my responsibilities though, which can put me even further behind.”
Even when having a job or two is a necessary responsibility, it doesn’t mitigate the chances of someone burning themselves out. It is easy for students to overcommit at the beginning of semesters and then begin to feel the repercussions of it later because they did not leave themselves enough room to simply live.
“I think it’s really important for students to know their limits. I learned the hard way that it’s very easy to over commit yourself at the beginning of the semester, but it is important to take into account time to care for yourself too,” Fredrick said. “It helped me this semester to start by just taking classes and working minimally, then adding in other commitments if I feel like I have time.”
However, for some students this delicate balancing act is easier to achieve than others. Even when working is a necessity, some students find it marginally easier to juggle all of their commitments. For some it’s because of their work hours being minimal and for others it’s because their hours don’t mess with time they could be spending on classes, like working over nights or early mornings.
Cole Stalberger, a third year Composite Materials Engineering major here at Winona State also has two jobs that he works on top of his education. For some this would be too much to handle, but with the hours Stalberger is able to work, he was able to find a schedule that really works for him.
“I’m pretty fortunate to have the jobs that I do because they do make managing school and work-life very easy. Thanks to working very early hours at Target and COMTEC being so integrated into my major,” Stalberger said.
The thing that many students who work find that their work-life balance comes down to is a schedule that works best for them and understanding their own limits. The creation of a good school-work-life schedule may sound easier than it actually is, but for many, in the end, having a job while also being a student is worth the slightly heavier workload.
“Working and doing school at the same time can be challenging, but it is very rewarding. Not to sound like an old man, but it really helps to build character, I think,” Stalberger said. “It establishes a stronger sense of responsibility, and it shows real maturity. Plus, nobody is going to complain about having a bit more money or working off tuition while attending.”
While there are positives about having a job while also being a full-time student, like having a good sense of personal responsibility and having more experience in the work force, but it isn’t always beneficial. For some students it can become hard to have school come before work and that is where having a job while also being a student can become more difficult.
“I know for myself and many other students it’s not a choice to work on top of going to school because of the expense of college and life, but I wish I didn’t have to work during the semester because I don’t think it’s always beneficial,” Fredrick said. “I do think that it offers some good experience in the real world, but only when it doesn’t start to affect academic performance.”
Working a job while being a full-time student is hard enough, let alone trying to find room to breathe during the whirlwind of a semesters course load. No matter how hard it may seem, it’s important to try and strike the delicate balance of work and life so that living doesn’t begin to feel too scheduled, and work doesn’t begin to impact all areas of someone’s life. Burn out is real, but it doesn’t have to happen as harshly or as often if a strong work-life balance is achieved by the academic, professional and social sides within a student.
