How to Manage Time When Earning Money
Most students will tell you that college is a full time job, but many students do both: enroll full time and work.
Having a job while trying to juggle a 15-credit load, is no easy task. This is the time students learn the true meaning of time management and planning things out. Time management is one of the most difficult things a college student will learn throughout their four years: How to make time for writing a paper, how study for three exams that all will be taken within one day and how to manage time to out go out and live the college experience.
Are students who are currently enrolled full time and who have jobs more likely to be able to budget their time? Or are they finding themselves in a never ending search for more time and less stress as compared to students who do not have the “work” burden.
Sophomore Laura Santonacita said, “Freshmen year, I didn’t have a job because I really wanted to focus on school work and earn good grades. It’s not like high school, I don’t have the privilege of having to only worry about one exam a week. I now have the privilege of worrying about two or three exams a week”
Santonacita then states, “It wasn’t until sophomore year that I decided I wanted to take on the task of having a job, in fact I have not only one job but three, I just couldn’t stand being on a budget.” Santonacita, like more and more college students are doing, are finding that being on a strict budget is reason enough to put them through the endless amount of stress of having a job.
“I will say that having three jobs has helped me keep better track of my school,”Sant0nicita said. “I know what needs to get done and it gets done much earlier because of my work schedule. Normally I would wait awhile to do an assignment when given to me.” This demonstrates positive time, It shows that even though she is juggling a lot she is able to understand the significance in finding time and using it wisely.
Andrea Brookman, another sophomore at Bloomsburg University explains, “Most times I can’t go out and go shopping or eat off campus because I don’t have the money for it, I have a strict budget for each semester, this budget allows me to have my free spending which is great but it is tight”
Brookman later replies, “The budgets allows me to not have to worry about having a job and allows me to relax and focus on school work and just enjoying college.” When asked if she had good managing skills Brookman Stated, “I get my work done on time and though most times it’s last minute, it gets done. I have a lot of free time on my hands with not having a job, so my days are usually not as stressful compared to what they would be maybe if I had a job.”
When surveying nine students asking whether they thought there time management would be more difficult with a job verses without one, seven out of the nine students reported a yes. The truth is that managing a course load on top of work is difficult, but at the same time it can be extremely rewarding. Stevie Leisher is a great example. Leisher says that since he has gotten a job he has been able to map out his course work.
“I find that I know I don’t have time to goof around, I can’t slack, my goof around time has become my work time so it’s important I stay on task and get my school work done,” Lieisher said. He has been working at the mall in Bloomsburg this semester and seems to realize the importance of planning.
“I have free time, don’t get me wrong, I go out on the weekends, when I can,” he said. “I just understand that since I took on another responsibility I know my prior one has to be fulfilled as well.”
Lieisher is a model student who knows how to manage his tasks and keep above the stress. He also is able to find time to go out and enjoy himself on the weekends. “I don’t let the juggling get the best of me,” he laughs.
The University offers some helpful tips on good ways to manage your time for school: mapping out a homework time, having a calendar and knowing the dates when assignments are due. In reality, students who have jobs are just as likely to budget their time the same as students who don’t, but it depends on the student and if they realize the importance of staying on top of their work load. Students who seem to follow those helpful hints seem to be able to juggle a working environment as well as a school environment.
