BY: Lashundra Daniels
There are several pros and cons to working while in college. The choice lies in the hands of students when it comes to deciding if working is beneficial to them and their school schedule.
No one wants to admit it, but I guess I will be the first to say it: College is expensive, and it is extremely difficult to get the bare necessities without some form of funds coming in. There are only so many meals you can get from the café before you either get tired of eating the same foods or either run out of money on your meal card. So, what’s next? Where can you get extra money from to help you buy basic toiletries, food and other personal items? The answer is simple: Get a job. That job can be on-campus or off; it depends on your preferences.
I know a lot of people will disagree and say it’s neither beneficial nor necessary for college students to work, but unfortunately, I disagree. There are several benefits to getting a part-time job while attending college classes. The first benefit, of course, is that it gives you the opportunity to earn funds you can use for food, extracurricular activities and whatever else you would like to do. At the end of the day, it is the money that you have worked hard for.
The second benefit is it helps you as a student to gain valuable work experience. Valuable work experience affords us the opportunity to learn the correct etiquette in the workplace. I know you might be asking, “How? How can getting a job at Wal-Mart or Subway teach me etiquette about working in my potential career field as a secondary teacher, a domestic violence counselor or an electrical engineer?” Well, it’s simple. Working at Walmart teaches you discipline, time management and customer service skills. Customer service is not limited to one particular career field, as it is essentially based on the concept of treating people with as much kindness and respect as possible.
Another reason it would be beneficial for you to get a job on the side while attending classes is that you will be afforded the opportunity to gain insight into the diversity of people in the workplace. You will quickly learn there is no guarantee that any two people at your job are in the same stage of life as you. While working at Walmart, you might experience a co-worker who is 57-years-old and has been working at Walmart their entire lives, or you might encounter a 21- year-old who has two kids and needs a job because they fell on hard times. It is crucial that you grasp the idea that people are not the same because, in your respective career field, you will need to be understanding and knowledgeable about the differences people possess.
Although there are a ton of pros to working while in college, it is also important to note that there are some cons that exist. The first con is the inability to multitask, which can ultimately cause stress and failure in classes. The second con is that you can miss out on fully experiencing college while you are preoccupied with working and making money. For some of us, college is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so enjoy it while you can. The third con is it will be beyond hard to manage assignments that go beyond the classroom, such as group assignments and study groups, which can have a negative impact on your grades.
There is a load of part-time jobs that are available off-campus. If you are interested in working on-campus, there are some work-study jobs that will present you with the opportunity to work close to where your classes are. The choice is yours, and it is ultimately your decision whether you want to work or not. No one knows what’s best for you and your education but you.