Where Working Students Go Wrong

Indiana State student Aaron Brown’s alarm clock interrupts his sleep like a gunshot at 8:30 a.m. He trudges over to the clock through empty pizza boxes and soda cans. He grabs his work clothes with yesterday’s lunch stains still on them, packs up his schoolwork and heads out the door. This is just another routine Tuesday.

Working long shifts as well as being a full-time student with 16 credit hours is just one of the common mistakes working students create for themselves.

42 percent of students enrolled in a four-year university are employed either full or part-time, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of 2011. Regardless of whether it is for extra spending money or specifically for school, there are mistakes students should avoid if they wish to balance work and school.

“When I hire students, they don’t typically get as many hours as my regular employees because there tends to be a lot of conflict,” said Vershawn Croney, general manager of a KFC in Indianapolis, IN.

One problem college students have is finding an employer that is willing to work with their class schedule. Once they find one, some students take on the task of trying to work too many hours.

“One of the toughest things about being in college is making sure all your expenses are taken care of, and to do that sometimes you have to work a little more,” Brown said. “Sometimes you get so focused on trying to make more money for all your expenses that you start to put work before classes, and that’s a problem.” Expenses for college students include rent, books, food, gas and, of course, the occasional party. For some, along with the occasional party comes the brand new dress hanging in a display window that just screams, “Buy me.”

Another common mistake working students make is getting involved in too many extracurricular activities.

A girl standing outside the student union building holding up a brightly-colored attention-grabbing sign and yelling “free popsicles” to anyone who signs up for her organization. She also works 25 hours a week as a waitress and belongs to three other organizations. She is not alone.

“I started out working my freshmen year of college,” said Veldez Joshua from Washington D.C. “But I soon learned that there were so many other things I wanted to be a part of that wouldn’t have been possible if I continued to work.”

Joshua became president of a fraternity, a member of the funding board at his school and a bandleader. It’s important that students take advantage of organizations that will benefit them with future career goals. Joshua decided to make a sacrifice and not work so he could participate in on-campus organizations. However, not every student is able to make that choice.

Eric Hart, a senior at Texas Southern University, not only is part of three organizations but also works two jobs.

“As a working student who wants to still be involved in things, a sacrifice of some sort has to be made, and my sacrifice is sleep,” Hart said, laughing. Hart didn’t have the luxury to quit his jobs in order to get involved in other things because he is working to put himself through school. “It was important to me to take advantage of organizations and other opportunities in school because I knew they would benefit me in the future, but I had to keep working in order to survive,” Hart said. When Hart was asked why he takes on so much, he replied, “It will all pay off in the long run.”

It’s very important to have a good attitude when deciding what to sacrifice as a working student. For those who have trouble deciding what to give up, parents are always willing and available to give helpful input.

“I am always concerned my son is going to over exert himself with work while being in school, which is why I try to send him money when I can,” said Cheryl Warren from Atlanta.

Other parents think students will better learn the value of a dollar by having to make their own money and support themselves.

“I only send my son money when he absolutely needs it,” said Larry Jimson, whose son is a junior at Georgia State University and is expected to take care of himself. “I don’t like to see my boy struggle but I feel it will make him a stronger person in the end,” Jimson said.

The last mistake students tend to make is not learning time management, which is defined as “the analysis of how working hours are spent and the prioritization of tasks in order to maximize personal efficiency in the workplace” by dictionary.com.

Time management is vastly important in college because of the many different tasks and assignments students have from different classes. Learning time management can help balance out class assignments and working a job.

“The best skill I learned since being in college was time management,” Hart said. “It’s easier for me to make myself do homework if I know I have to work later in the day.”

It helps to have a boss that is willing to accommodate class schedules and homework when it comes to time management. For example, Dr. Don Baker’s dental office in Bloomington, Ind. prefers to hire students.

“We are willing to help students out as long as they prove to be efficient workers when they are here,” Kris Baker said. “Students are easier to work with because they are eager to learn and help out.”It is easier for students working with the Bakers’ to manage their time because there is a set schedule, and it is okay for them to do school work during downtime as long as all the office work is taken care of.

Students should certainly consider working in college, as there are numerous benefits. However, it is important that students are careful not to fall into the trap of inflexible employers, excessive extracurricular activities, or bad time management habits.

It’s 2:13 am, and Brown walks into his room, his feet feeling as though they are chained to anchors. He tosses his bag into a sea of dirty clothes, and dives head first like an Olympic swimmer into his twin bed, only to wake up and repeat the previous day in a few hours.