Listen HereBy: Leah Palm, Staff Writer
Twitter – @_palmegranate
Email – palml@findlay.edu
There are very few, full-time students who don’t always complain about being too busy. Between sports practices and required workouts, extra-curricular activities, leadership positions on campus, and juggling homework and class time, there are not many hours left in the day.
In the midst of this, some students must also find the time to squeeze in a part-time job. Whether it be McDonalds or Marathon, finding the time to work while in school is more difficult than we give students credit for.
Professors on campus generally assign homework with the assumption that students have a couple of hours a night to do it. Similarly, employers assume that students have the free time to work a few hours each night. Juggling the two often leads to lack of sleep due to squeezing everything in. This is without accounting for the hours needed to complete athletic practices or extra-curriculars.
Some people believe that it is not necessary for students to work while in school, but for some of us, it is essential. Many students that hold part-time jobs need to pay their own tuition, textbook costs, rent, utilities, insurance, groceries, and gas. This is very difficult to accomplish when there is not enough time in the week to make the money to do so.
On top of that, constantly running from one thing to another, trying to fit it all in, and not getting any sleep only diminishes the energy students have to focus on schoolwork. This can lead to skipped classes and missed homework assignments simply due to lack of time and energy. Or worse, when students do try to do everything, it can be hard to keep up because their brain is already fried.
Janet Kolk, a full-time Junior at the University of Findlay, works about 30 hours a week on top of all her classes and activities. Kolk commented on the added stress working causes.
“When I have big tests or lots of homework due the next day I just have to remind myself that it will be okay,” Kolk states. “Trying to plan things on non-school days is always hard because I have to be up so early.”
Will Adeboyejo, a UF student in his sixth year of college, adds to Kolk’s comment by explaining trials of his own.
“My sophomore year of college I was a resident assistant, I worked 30 hours a week, I had three on campus jobs, one off campus job, I was part of student government, I was recruitment chair of my fraternity, and I was taking 18 credit hours, it was rough,” Adeboyejo says. “I died.”
Between class, sleep and work, it can be virtually impossible to juggle everything we are suppose to during our college experience. However, at the end of the day we find a way to make it all work and stay sane. Kudos to us, college kids!
