# Studying and working part-time, how do YOU do it?



## fallindreamer (Oct 27, 2015)

*^* At the moment I feel as if I'm struggling. :bored:


My job isn't related to my course
I do 6-10 hours more a week than I was contracted to
Interacting with customers all day has me drained.

I've already spoken to my manager about the hours and that I can't do as much anymore due to studying, hopefully this will help but I think I'll inevitably have to quit.

What kind of jobs do you guys do? Does it have an impact on your studies at all?


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## Nightmaker81 (Aug 17, 2013)

fallindreamer said:


> *^* At the moment I feel as if I'm struggling. :bored:
> 
> 
> My job isn't related to my course
> ...


I'm a physics and math major. I held 4 jobs at once(I was a math tutor, a physics tutor(two different spots on campus), a physics teaching assistant and a research assistant) and also pulled off a good GPA while doing honors classes.

It's intrinsic motivation. My dream is to become an astronaut and it's a deep intrinsic desire for me. So while I do get tired, it isn't "work" for me, because everything is more or less training. All my jobs are related to my field and so I get stronger in math and physics each time and even if I don't, it's mental training and toughness, because if I'm going to match my ambition, I need a certain mental toughness. 

But that all wouldn't come to me unless I had a large amount of intrinsic motivation. It's easy for me to pull 90 hour work weeks, because seeing me getting closer to that goal feels a hell of a lot better than watching Netflix all day.

So in terms of there being available hours, there are. But it means no netflix, no videogames or other things that take a lot of time, and to completely discipline yourself. Getting 8 hours of sleep every night so your body is well rested, dieting(dieting is huge for the amount of energy you can get), excercise etc.

But that doesn't come unless there is a large intrinsic motivation. So I guess I'm saying, there isn't a magic answer. It requires a bit of self reflection, because the goal is to enjoy your life and not just be a workaholic. I'd meditate and ask yourself questions. How this means to you, what does the money mean, can you cut things like internet time and Netflix etc? 

And if it does mean a lot to you. Keep a journal. Every morning I remind myself the feeling of getting closer to that goal and how goddamn good it feels. And even though it feels shitty now, once it's all over. That warm feeling of accomplishment is going to feel so much better than something fleeting like watching a show on Netflix, at least for me.


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## Chocolatentropy (Oct 7, 2015)

I was a part-time barista for 6 months while I was in my second term of grad school (taking up a masters in accountancy) under a full load. I worked almost 40 hours a week during the day and went to school at night on weekdays and in the morning on Saturdays. It really burned me out, physicallly, mentally, and socially (I had to interact with other people far more than I was used to, and that's usually not good for an introvert such as myself). It was extremely difficult and my grades slipped a bit, but necessity is a very strong driving force. I'm under a full scholarship, but I still needed money for my everyday expenses, so even when I wanted to quit, I knew I couldn't.
Now I've got a FULL time job while on my third grad term, still with a full time load. It's because my brother is now going through college too and I need to help with his expenses. It's only been a month since I started with the full time job and I've lost 5 lbs already. As I said, necessity.


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## AriesLilith (Jan 6, 2013)

I work full-time, spending 9h at work + <2h commuting. I live with my husband and we need to cook and do house chores. I'm currently taking my masters degree through e-learning. I'm a programmer and my masters is about IT and business. My course demands reading of books and each week I have to hand in 2 deliveries/tasks.

It's not that I'm completely devoid of time for myself, but it does make it harder. But since I'm enjoying the course content, it makes it less like a chore and not too different from reading PerC or other stuffs online. *I guess that we see study as pure chores that we might not see how we can turn it into enjoyment at times.*

In the end, just as @Nightmaker81 said, it's about *motivation*. I've decided to put some extra efforts on getting a masters because I want it. I feel motivated to get it and study it. It's an achievement I enjoy getting.

Sometimes it can be hard thought, programming drains mental energy that at the end of the day I feel like doing brain numbing stuffs like Netflix. XD I do allow myself to succumb in some nights, but at the end of the week I need to have the study goals properly achieved. *It's important to also learn how to plan your relaxing time too.*


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## fallindreamer (Oct 27, 2015)

Chocolatentropy said:


> I was a part-time barista for 6 months while I was in my second term of grad school (taking up a masters in accountancy) under a full load. I worked almost 40 hours a week during the day and went to school at night on weekdays and in the morning on Saturdays. It really burned me out, physicallly, mentally, and socially (*I had to interact with other people far more than I was used to, and that's usually not good for an introvert such as myself*). It was extremely difficult and my grades slipped a bit, but necessity is a very strong driving force. I'm under a full scholarship, but I still needed money for my everyday expenses, so even when I wanted to quit, I knew I couldn't.
> Now I've got a FULL time job while on my third grad term, still with a full time load. It's because my brother is now going through college too and I need to help with his expenses. It's only been a month since I started with the full time job and I've lost 5 lbs already. As I said, necessity.


Oh wow, hats off to you. I hope that your work doesn't interfere with your studies too much, but you sound like you're quiet well organised. 

How did you manage to mentally recuperate from being around so many people? Since I feel that's what has been getting to me the most lately.
@AriesLilith


> I guess that we see study as pure chores that we might not see how we can turn it into enjoyment at times.


I definitely don't see studying as a chore, since I actually enjoy my course  My problem is working part-time, as I feel I'm losing valuable hours to something I'm only doing to pay the bills. Since I am also studying media occasionally watching Netflix could be considered research (as it gives me visual references to things I might of learnt in class).


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## Schizoid (Jan 31, 2015)

Hmm reading this thread led me to a question:

I wonder which one would be more stressful, working fulltime + studying part time or working part time + studying full time?

I am thinking of doing one of these myself, but I'm not sure which one to opt for.


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## fallindreamer (Oct 27, 2015)

Schizoid said:


> Hmm reading this thread led me to a question:
> 
> I wonder which one would be more stressful, working fulltime + studying part time or working part time + studying full time?
> 
> I am thinking of doing one of these myself, but I'm not sure which one to opt for.


If you're lucky enough to get a job that works with your course, (or the reverse - take a course to help further your career) then I don't think it would be as stressful. 

Problem is that it often isn't the case, so I would opt for part-time. I can't speak from experience - since I'm not sat a part-time course - but I would feel as if that would be less stressful, because educational systems seem to be a lot more understanding that you have other commitments than a work environment (especially in retail, as they expect you to be "on-call").

Then again you might work someone who understands your needs and won't ask you to do anything extra. What are you considering studying?


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## chanteuse (May 30, 2014)

My junior year I had my first kitty therefore I had to get my own 1-bedroom apartment (I rented a room in someone's house therefore no pets). All of a sudden my cost of living went way up. I got 2 more part time jobs on top of being a part time teller at Bank of America. I went back to waitressing and a box office cashier at a night club. Carrying a full load at school and having 3 part-time jobs I was home only to shower, change, and sleep. Financially I barely broke even, too. It was stressful but thankfully I didn't have to ask my mother for help.

I don't remember how I did it but I did it for a year. My senior year I spent in London therefore no more working while studying (my cat went to my mum).


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## Chocolatentropy (Oct 7, 2015)

fallindreamer said:


> Oh wow, hats off to you. I hope that your work doesn't interfere with your studies too much, but you sound like you're quiet well organised.
> 
> How did you manage to mentally recuperate from being around so many people? Since I feel that's what has been getting to me the most lately.


Lol. Now you're about to realize that I was not deserving of your praise.
I didn't. I never quite managed. Thus the break up with my then-boyfriend. Lol. I started needing more and more time to myself, outside of work and school. I felt suffocated and drained of my social reserves.
I guess my advice to you is to take advantage of whatever time you can spend on your own. Try to take solitary walks and just breathe. No matter how packed your schedule is, try to devote time to this, even if it's just half an hour out of each day. Trust me, you're going to need it if you want to make it through.


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## BlackMoonlight (Oct 16, 2012)

I'm a student at University and I have a part time job as a Deli clerk at a supermarket. For my first week I was working 5-6 hours a day for four days, now I'm being scheduled to work 8 hours a day four days a week, even on days when I'm in class all morning. I'm just a few hours away from being full time at this point. I can balance college work and my job, the problem is that I won't have time or energy for much else. I'm hoping my schedule will change a bit and I'll at least be able to work some mornings so I won't have to get home at 10:30 every night.


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## peter pettishrooms (Apr 20, 2015)

When I do find employment (I play music professionally but not as frequently as I used to), I actually find it relaxing. I enjoy my studies as a math major, but sometimes I need a break from it all and my work provides that level of comfort for me. Sure it's demanding at times, but the important thing is that I enjoy it.


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## dark_angel (Oct 21, 2013)

I work full time at a restaurant and in school part time with 2 difficult courses. As a double major in marketing and accounting, that's a lot of workload. Still managed an A and a B this semester. It's either intrinsic motivation or going day by day, depending on my mood.


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## katemess (Oct 21, 2015)

I'm a full-time uni student (but I only have 8 hours of class per week, and I don't go to lectures) and I work full-time as a secretary at a retirement village. I work from 8am to 3:30pm, Monday to Friday, and then I go to two of my classes on campus, and do the other two online at home (or at work). I don't find it difficult because my job is easy and not demanding at all. I can easily find time in the day to do uni work. I have worked out a pattern: Mondays tend to be the busiest day, and the others tend not to be anywhere near as busy, so it's easy for me to get the majority of my work done on the Monday, then use my free time on the other days to do my online uni work. 

I'm at work right now, and I finish in 15 minutes. All day I have only dealt with a handful of calls and two residents. The rest of the time, I have been on the internet or reading a book. I'm on uni break now, so I actually find my work days to be much slower and more boring than they would be if I had work to do.


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## 66393 (Oct 17, 2013)

I have a full course load and a job (related to my major). I am barely managing. I might get my first B in college (in anthropology), not that I really care... With just school my workload was easy... Too easy, prompting me to get a job. I was almost always guaranteed a few hours of down time each day. Now I have 30 minutes of downtime if I'm lucky. 

My work is from home and entails a lot of research on my part. This is one of the first times in my life that I truly feel challenged. I suppose I kind of like that. I'm also immensely great full that my job doesn't require much human interaction - they always piss me off


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## joup (Oct 5, 2014)

I can't work full time and study part time. If I have to try again, I'll have to try one subject at a time. At work I find people the cause of draining all the energy I have.


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## drmiller100 (Dec 3, 2011)

i have students who work full time, are single parents, and full time in college. 

very very tough to balance it all. they are going to school to make a better life for them so they can provide for their kids better.


I went to school and worked part time. It was a HELL of a lot easier to go to school without kids.


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## WhyShouldEye (Jun 12, 2015)

acidicwithpanic said:


> I play music professionally but not as frequently as I used to


Any recommendations on how to get into a freelance style of work like this? I play music as well, but not professionally; at the moment, I have the advantage of going to school for free while honing my trade skills; I could probably get good enough musically to make some money with it by the time I'll need some money on hand, but I'm not really too sure how to go about it. Any recommendations would help.

I have a bunch of other things I'm working on as well; do you think, by combining a bunch of various skills, I could make enough money through freelance work to subsist while going to school full-time?

Sorry to slightly derail the thread, but at least my questions are partially related.


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## peter pettishrooms (Apr 20, 2015)

WhyShouldEye said:


> Any recommendations on how to get into a freelance style of work like this? I play music as well, but not professionally; at the moment, I have the advantage of going to school for free while honing my trade skills; I could probably get good enough musically to make some money with it by the time I'll need some money on hand, but I'm not really too sure how to go about it. Any recommendations would help.
> 
> I have a bunch of other things I'm working on as well; do you think, by combining a bunch of various skills, I could make enough money through freelance work to subsist while going to school full-time?
> 
> Sorry to slightly derail the thread, but at least my questions are partially related.


I get work mostly from connections I have. I have fellow friends who're music majors or musicians and they rely on me as back-up if they end up having to abandon a few gigs later on. Really immerse yourself somehow in the art community. In high school, I did this by joining numerous music groups: a few orchestras and symphonies, a small chamber ensemble, and I even played for a few churches as part of the music ministries (I didn't even have to be a member of a church in order to play; they really are serious about hiring professionals and I'm agnostic which they didn't care about so I didn't have to worry about them trying to convert me lol.) This gave me a lot of opportunities to snatch like playing for weddings and other events. It also helped to stay affiliated with teachers and former teachers. I had a family of teachers that are locally famous, so they're highly requested to play for special events around town but of course aren't able to take every one of these jobs, so they rely on some of their most trusted students to take some of these jobs for them. That's pretty much how I got started playing for weddings and churches back then.


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## IreneOneil (Jul 22, 2019)

Freelance writing, you can work from home and pick the time you like, perfect if you are study right now.


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## Forest Nymph (Aug 25, 2018)

As a freshman/sophomore doing general education i could do anything. Any job. Any fast food bullshit 20 hours a week like the federal recommendations. 

Once I transferred i either didn't work or worked 12 hours a week at a low stress agriculture job. Maybe extroverts can do it but science degrees at my undergrad school are legendary for difficulty. People not working or baby sitting or doing very minimal jobs like my ten hours at greenery or my friend who made Fish and Wildlife videos flexibly around her academics. 

I know people working twenty to thirty hours in shit jobs in truly hard math or science programs but they are usually EXTX. I really believe this. The E allowed their intense temporary workaholism and the T a disconnect from their feelings about it or a greater brain power just being real. 

As an introvert I actually had a therapist write a doctor's note that I was incapable of working twenty hours as a full time student. She was basically like no one should have to. California law allows student benefits with only ten hours of work, it's the Feds who hope you die or drop out of school. I hate this country.


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## Aridela (Mar 14, 2015)

Studying and working full time here. 

It's tough but I'm almost at the finish line.


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## General Lee Awesome (Sep 28, 2014)

it is pretty tough.. trying to juggle my degree while working...


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## incision (May 23, 2010)

When I did it, my motto was 'sleep is for the weak'.


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## baitedcrow (Dec 22, 2015)

I'm working one job full time, have a second part-time job, and am working on a MSc. I'd be a liar if I claimed part of the answer for me wasn't "by the skin of my teeth."

Other important factors:

Setting incremental goals to be met every day, but also being gentle enough with myself when I don't manage something.

Being forward-thinking and trying to take a problem solving attitude toward set backs, so that they don't become discouraging.

Setting boundaries with all my myriad bosses. Being firm about how much is too much. (Ex. I recently realized how badly the stress was wearing on me and struck a deal with part-time job to let me off the hook for one of my tasks, so that I'd have more time to study, since I'm in a pinch there right now.)

Trying my best to get away from the screen. My degree is mostly distance learning/online and my two jobs are tech jobs so the amount of time I'm spending in front of a computer right now is just ugly. In fact my recently popping back up after a year or so away from this site coincided with me starting job 2, so... likely related.

Making sure my diet stays healthy, which helps me stay energized and clear-headed.

Doing things I like, but without turning the need to do them to destress into another list item to tick off, because that makes me less enthusiastic about doing them. (This is more difficult than it sounds.)

Multitasking. Listening to lectures while driving, bathing, etc.


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