Outside EmploymentChances are, unless there are buildings that share your surname or you’ve taken out loans, you’ll have to work in order to keep yourself alive while going to school. I myself worked for a thrift store and an adult foster care home as an undergrad and in my first semester as a grad student. Employment while also going to school full time can be frustrating, especially toward the end of the semester when deadlines for final projects get closer and closer even though you’re still scheduled to work the same hours as every other week. Here are some tricks I’ve found helpful while maintaining a balance between the two:
|
Regular Schedule |
Find a job that lets you work the same hours each week. You’ll find it a lot easier to keep up with your schoolwork if you can set the same time aside on a regular basis for studying and writing. When looking for a job, ask how their scheduling system works, so you don’t get stuck working 30 hours one week, then 12 the next without any say in the matter.
|
Start Early |
Start your job search as early in the summer as possible. A lot of jobs open up in Mt. Pleasant around May, when the graduating class takes its degrees to find work elsewhere. The sooner you start looking, the more likely you’ll find a job with regular hours or that’s otherwise sympathetic to your studies.
|
Avoid Guilt |
Don’t let academic guilt interfere with your work while on the clock. With so much coursework to keep up on, it can be tempting to cram readings or pre-writing sessions into your lunch breaks and other moments of downtime while on the job. In my experience, though such work is rarely as focused as it would be if it were to take place during uninterrupted study time, plus it tends to leave me distracted when I eventually have to start working again.
|
Matthew Moffett lives in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, with his wife, Sara, his two kids named Harper and Viola and a Shetland sheepdog named Donny. He studies creative writing and teaches Freshman Composition and enjoys writing really, really, really short poems, which goes well with his busy schedule. He’s not very good at writing about himself.
Central Michigan University respects the diversity of values and opinions held by members of its community. The views expressed on this page are those of the author and not necessarily those of Central Michigan University or its officers and trustees. The content of this page has not been reviewed or approved by Central Michigan University, and the author is solely responsible for its content.