Many people will recommend not getting a job while attending school because it takes away from your studies. This in fact is true. I know this from first hand experience. My work schedule always affects how I plan to get all my school assignments done, due to the circumstances of my job. I work at Best Buy, in the warehouse. I usually have to be at work 5am, and I can't leave until the truck is unloaded and everything is put away in their proper place. This causes hectic on my schedule because I never know when we are finished. I can work between 6-14 hours a day due to this. Doing this schedule four times a week and going to school full time, makes it difficult to get all my assignments done, and has me playing catch up.
However, working while attending school does have its benefits. It allows you to pay for your education while creating as little debt for yourself as possible when you graduate. You learn new skills that potential future employers could find valuable in their decision to hire you. Working while in college gives you experience in the workplace. Future employers will be able to see that you have a strong work-ethic, have the ability to multi-task, and the ability to successfully balance work and school at the same time.
When picking a job, I recommend you try and get one that is in your interest of studies. I work at Best Buy because I am interested in the field of computer science. Working in a technology store helps me learn a whole array of stuff I might have not known before. Working in a work place that will teach you stuff about your career interest is a very good decision. It allows you the opportunity to get first hand experience on your future job, and can even get you connections to potential employers when graduating college.
If you decide to get a job, be sure to take it seriously. You can't slack off and you have to be responsible for your own actions. Make sure you show up on time and do your job to your highest potential. It makes you look good and can give you benefits in the future, such as a higher rate of pay.
Your pros and cons list is helpful to your topic of student success. I think that finding a job in one's career field is certainly going to be helpful in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI'd recommend keeping a stronger focus on the first-person narrative here (I/me). You shift quite a bit back and forth to "you" and that can get distracting. "You" works well with general audiences, but usually in a verbal setting where people can speak to one another. In written text, it can feel a bit like a lecture. Since this is your experience, focus on I/me and see how that supports your text and gives it even more focus.
I like the fact that you're talking about balancing work and school life because I can relate to it but I think you can make your blog much more relatable with a change in perspective. In other words, I mean if you change everything to first person and stay consistent with that view it will relate to more people. For example, your second paragraph was great and I really felt sympathetic for your story because I live through a similar schedule.
ReplyDeleteI had a question though, how many hours would you recommend a first time worker doing full time school and part time work? Personally I work comfortably around 20-30 hours a week but how do you feel about anymore than that?