Most students have a college job during their time in school. And most students have too much on their plate already. How can you stay balanced while juggling a college job on top of everything else?
1. Figure out how much money you need. Is your job the main source of your tuition money? Or just a way for you to get some extra cash to spend on the weekend? Figuring out how much you need (or want) from a college job can help you figure out how many hours a week you'll need (or want) to work. Remember: (how much you need or want) = (# of hours to work/week) x ($/hour).
2. Aim to get a flexible job. Being an employee who is also a student means you'll have unique requirements, like wanting some additional time off around the holidays and possibly not being around when the college is closed for major breaks. If you can't find (or don't want) an on-campus job, make sure the job you do get understands that your academics need to come first.
3. Figure out what you want out of your job. True, there's a reason someone has to pay you to come in every day, but there can be other benefits to a job, too. In addition to the money, what else do you want out of a job? Experience? Networking? Time away from school? Time to study? Having your job benefit you in more than one aspect of your life can reduce the amount of things you'll need to worry about on a daily basis.
4. Check your schedule and make sure you're not over-committed. Feeling under a constant strain of stress may mean you are constantly expecting too much for yourself and yet not giving yourself enough time to meet any of those expectations. Time management is a big challenge for any working student. Consequently, you should check in with yourself periodically and make sure you know how to manage your time and that all seems to be working as well as possible.
