Is a part-time job worth the added stress?

Let’s face it: being a full-time student is hard. It takes a lot of time and effort to get the grades we want and sometimes it still doesn’t work out the way that we imagine it will. Now, pair that with a part-time job.

Most college students have to work a part-time job in order to go to school full-time and still be able to afford a suitable living situation. Going to school and going to work can be super tiring; I know that for a fact. I have six hours of class a day and most nights I work for four to five hours. That doesn’t leave much room for socialization, homework, and sleep. Most students are like this, too. But the question is: should we be full-time college students while also working a part-time job?

Some of you might say, “well, yeah!” I get it—you have bills to pay and rent due and food to eat. And if you can juggle it, even better. But when is it too much? When do you know if you’re working yourself too hard.

The truth is, you won’t always know or realize when it gets to be a little much and even then, most of us don’t have a choice—we have to work. But we should only work if we absolutely have to. If you’re a college student, you should always give it your all when trying to earn your degree. You can’t always do that if you’re working on top of all your school work. Plus, as human beings, we need things such as social interaction with others in order to feel connected. And we can’t exactly have those when we have six to eight hours of class a day and work all night, plus homework to finish.

Working yourself too hard can be detrimental to your health and you should always be worried about yourself and your academics first.

Now, I’m not saying you should quit your job; but maybe try giving away a shift or two on days you know you’ll have a heavy workload. Or try switching shifts with a coworker for a day you don’t have any classes. This can lighten the stress and workload on you, and you can still make the money you need for bills and rent.

There isn’t any reason we should be straining ourselves too hard, especially in college. We’re all human. And even though working can be a great experience and get us the money we need, we need to remember to take it easy. Nothing is too important that you should sacrifice your health for it, net school or a minimum wage job.