Dangers of working while going to school

One out of five college students work 35 hours per week or more. ( Andres Rodriguez)

Clock-in. Stress. Clock-out. Stress. Go to class.

Students, with the hopes of ridding of the financial burden of college, continue to take on numerous stresses of life. Working full-time while going to school isn’t an uncommon struggle, and it is proving to cause more damage to a student than it does in assisting them.

Working more than 10 hours during the week already proves to be a hindrance to academic success, yet one in five undergraduates is working a minimum of 35 hours a week, according to CBS. Those hours spent in your minimum wage job only lead to exhaustion that won’t be used toward finishing that history homework which needs to be done by midnight. Instead of actually sleeping, however, you’ll lie in bed thinking about how you should be finishing the homework, even though you can hardly think well enough to formulate anything even remotely eloquent.

In 2011, 71 percent of college undergraduates were working while going to school, according to the U.S. census report.

TIME noted that those who are new to the college experience often struggle with financial responsibilities, and, not knowing how to handle this stress, it’s common for them to aim for as many hours on the job as possible. These hours may help to pay for classes, but paying for classes you aren’t passing because of a jam-packed schedule is a waste of time and money. Freshman especially tend to become more anxiety-ridden as they are trying to become self-sufficient and separate from their parents. By trying to fit in too many activities, though, they will become burnt out sooner than if they were to stay dependent for a while while focusing on their education.

Students should be focusing on getting careers, not balancing low-paying jobs while trying to get a somewhat decent education. Education is supposed to help them acquire these careers. However, students find themselves too caught up in attempting to hold a job during their classes and becoming less inclined to remove themselves from the job they’re using to make ends meet.

Some situations do require students to work, such as family hardships, but it is important to recognize priorities in life. If a job is what is necessary to live at the moment, then taking minimal classes while working could be the best decision. If the option of focusing on education instead is possible, then putting off any full-time job positions may be the smartest decision in ultimately reaching the goal of a career.

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