How to be a full time student and worker

Having a hectic, fast paced life is common among Americans living in the 21st century. Earning an education is very important to create a financially secure future for not only yourself, but your family too (if you plan to have one, or have one already). However, difficulty paying for college is one thing that most students have in common, due to rising costs in not only tuition, but the cost of living, gas, essentials etc. So, having a full time job while going to college is something that most students, including myself, must do. As a junior in college, I have come across the following obstacles that come from working and going to school, whether it affects me or someone I know.

Scheduling!
Scheduling is a key (if not most important) factor in working and going to college. You must be able to not only schedule your classes around your work schedule, but also set aside time for studying and homework. If you work a set schedule every week, this makes it easier. I do not have a set schedule, but my boss is fairly flexible, so this helps a lot. If you are organized and self motivated, online classes might be a good option for you as well. I find online classes make my life a lot easier, because I only have to set aside time for studying since there is no class time.

Stay organized
If you can not stay organized, or attempt to, you will probably have a difficult time going to school and working full time. Personally, I keep a calendar that I write down many things including:
1. my work schedule
2. my school schedule
3. Homework/test due dates
4. studying time
5. anything else I may need to do such as errands or chores.

Another great option is keeping an agenda, that way there is more room for writing activities and you can take it anywhere you go.

Keep your priorities in order
A common problem with college students being a full time worker is that one or the other may slip once in a while. Either you will work too much and your grades will fall, or you will work hard in school and you may seem absent minded or slacking at work. This has happened to me a few times in the past 3 months alone. You need to recognize this is happening and create a happy medium between the two. Of course keeping your grades up is very important, since you are paying for college and would like your grades to reflect all your hard work. Perhaps you can ask your boss to give you a lighter work load for the next two weeks or something along those lines.

Of course this is not all the problems you may run into, and most people have more on their plates than just work and school (kids, husbands, pets, households, etc.), but by doing these things you will be off to a great start!

Here is another great page with additional details about working and going to school
Working full time and going to school

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