Learning to Balance.

Working while balancing school and a personal life is one of the major balancing acts of adolescents. Learning to decide when you should or shouldn't go out with your friends is just the first step. Soon students get to the point that they are no longer putting in much effort to any aspect of their life. Instead they are skipping classes and assignments they deem as a lower priority in order to work or sleep, and going out with friends on days off becomes nothing more than a distant memory. Being able to balance time appropriately is a hard skill to master.  The average student already struggles with trying to use their time efficiently and meet all of the deadlines and requirements necessary to pass a course, but once you add in employers who typically believe that they are your main priority into the mix, it becomes even harder to balance everything easily. On top of work and school, college students are expected to be making lifelong connections and networking with people at the same time. It is then expected that we will take on an internship at some point, or do some sort of volunteer work in our field of study to give us a more hands on approach to learning the information we are being taught in class. At the end of the day, the tight rope working students walk to try and balance out their school and work which tend to be competing priorities and also maintaining a social life and keeping ourselves in good health is almost an impossible task. More likely than not, at least one of these obligations will result with us falling short. Missing important deadlines because of work, or deciding to go out with friends instead of sleeping before an early shift the next morning can all have a lasting impact on a student’s life. In some cases, realizing you’re slacking in one area may help you refocus for a while, but soon enough you realize that it’s difficult to not start making another area of your focus a back thought.

Not only does working while in school tend to cause students to lose focus, it also causes a lot of students to miss out on different academic opportunities due to a lack of time. As a student, I feel that this is ultimately the biggest downside to working while in school. Although not being able to focus on any one area as much as you should is a big deal as well, missing out on chances to get involved with school activities that could help you build a stronger resume when leaving college is a major downside. Students working while in school typically do not have the time required to dedicate to a school organization or club, which is something that can affect them in the long run. New employers want to see that a student is well rounded and can work well in groups, and has dedicated time to internships and volunteer work when hiring them. That’s something that cannot be done if you’re already battling time to fit in school and work. In the long run, does working while being a college student affect your lifelong goals?