These days, most students choose to have a part-time job alongside their studies. Often it’s not even so much of a choice considering the increasing cost of living and high college tuition. Yet, working while going to college can be a tricky thing. Balancing those two responsibilities can be complicated for inexperienced youth. However, juggling study and work can also come with its own benefits. You can learn a lot in the process and gain some important skills. Overall, this choice has its own pros and cons. Let’s learn about the advantages and disadvantages of working while in school.
Pros: You Gain Work Experience
The first advantage is obvious. You get to gain precious work experience and put something on your resume. When landing a job after graduation, your biggest obstacle will be a lack of work experience. Yet, those students who start building their resumes while in college will have much better chances of getting jobs. Moreover, you’ll be even luckier if you can get experience in your field. Thus, you will have a big advantage over other young candidates when applying for a job.
It’s not that you will already have a few impressive lines on your resume. You will also gain a better understanding of the field you want to enter. You will see whether you even like it in the first place. If anything, it’s never too late to change a specialty while you are still in college.
Cons: Work Takes Up a Lot of Your Time
Being a student is the most important job you have right now. Your classes should come first before everything else. However, there is always a risk of your work interfering with your performance at school. Hence, you should always make sure your job doesn’t hinder your learning ability. You should give your best in classes.
However, work is not your friend here. Overall, it can simply tire you to the point where you have no energy to study or wake up on time. In addition, a job can be too demanding, leaving you little time for yourself and needs outside your work. Overall, constantly prioritizing your studies over a job takes a lot of effort and energy. It can take you a while to learn that balance and gain good time management skills.
Pros: You Learn Life-Work Balance Early On
On the good side of things, the life-work balance is something we all should master in life. So, learning this notion early in life will only help you in the future. So many young adults enter the work field eager to prove themselves. Unfortunately, too many people these days end up burning out or suffering from other mental health disorders. Workaholism is really dangerous. Learning how to balance work duties with personal life will help you stay more productive, efficient, and calm in your future career. If anything, learning this balance will be even easier when your studies are finally out of the equation.
Cons: Work Is Additional Stress
You will be very lucky to find a job to your taste and liking. However, more often than not, your first job will not be something to recall fondly. It can be quite a drag, especially if you can’t get a job in your field. In addition, your work will be a source of constant stress. Overall, just having a job can be stressful on its own. Also, your work will take a lot of the time that you could have spent on studying instead. Hence, you will often feel the pressure to keep up with your studies while also spending days at work.
Pros: You Earn Money
Of course, an extra income is a great bonus in juggling study and work. Unfortunately, most students often struggle with money. Though, having some extra cash in your pocket does make life a little more pleasant. You gain two advantages by earning your own money. First, you learn to manage finances. It’s an important life skill that all young adults struggle with, sadly.
Second, you will be able to afford a few extra things to make your life more comfortable. For example, having spare money can also help you with your studies, when it’s needed. You can simply read an oxessays review and order some academic help from the service when your time is scarce.
The Bottom Line
So, is it worth juggling study and work? Honestly, each of us has to decide for ourselves. Some people strive under pressure. Others can benefit from getting a job in their field early on in life. Still, many can struggle with time management, organizational skills, or even mental health. Remember, your twenties are a great period for experiments. Hence, you can learn from your mistakes as well as victories. The key here is to know when to stop and try something else instead. So be free to try juggling work and study to see whether it is worth it for you.
