By Kirsten Kirtley, Senior Reporter
Working while earning a degree is one of the best decisions a student can make to increase their personal growth and learn valuable life lessons.
Being a student who has worked throughout the entirety of my college career, I can say that it has taught me a vast amount of things.
Although having a job while going to school has been rewarding, it has also been demanding and challenging. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Nothing worth having comes easy.”
One important life skill I’ve improved on while working and going to school is time management. In order to be successful at school and work, I have to prioritize my time and avoid things that waste too much of it.
A habit I’ve recently started that has been helpful is doing at least one hour of school work each day. Even if nothing is due the next day, one hour of school work every day not only keeps me from getting behind, but it helps me stay ahead as well.
Another skill I’ve improved on throughout this journey is personal organization.
I stay organized by creating schedules, keeping my planner updated with due dates and to-do’s and giving myself deadlines to avoid getting behind.
Something I’ve learned about myself is that if I don’t write it down, I’ll forget it. With this knowledge, I try to write things down as soon as they get assigned.
Procrastination used to be a big problem for me, but once I started working more hours while taking classes, I realized procrastinating was no longer an option if I was going to achieve my goals.
I now try to start things as soon as they are assigned, rather than waiting until the last minute.
Once I started implementing this simple habit into my life, my grades improved, and my stress decreased not only at school, but at work as well.
In my opinion, balancing work and school can also help better prepare students to balance other things after graduation, such as growing their career and raising children. If a student isn’t working, playing a sport or involved in an organization on campus, they may struggle to balance their work, family and personal lives both after they graduate and later on in life.
Another pro to working while attending school is earning an income. What college student doesn’t want money?
Even if students don’t necessarily need an income because they are on a scholarship or have financial support from their families, working could give them an opportunity to save money for life after graduation.
Appreciation for the little things is another thing I’ve obtained while holding a job and attending school full-time.
When I find myself having more free time than usual, I appreciate the time given and try to make the most of it.
Rather than playing on my phone for hours, I make plans with a friend or read a book.
Don’t get me wrong, when things get busy at work and school, and deadlines start piling up, I sometimes get jealous of people that get to solely focus on school.
When that thought creeps in, I just think of all the things I’ve learned along the way that I wouldn’t trade for the extra free time or decreased amount of stress.