Anyone have a student NOT work through college?

[Hunter's Moon]

I've been looking for a job since I've been 16. I admit, sometimes more seriously than others. I usually check out indeed.com every few weeks or look through the classifieds. I've applied to many, but have not received any call backs at all.

 

I noticed that I'm not 100% committed to looking. If I applied and got a call back, you bet I would go in and interview and accept (if it worked with college schedule) but I'm not even applying to 10+/week.

 

My parents don't care either way whether I work or just attend CC full-time. If I worked, they would take a percentage as room & board, but they're fine with me just focusing on school.

 

If I get accepted into the Medical Assisting program in the Fall, I really wouldn't have time for a job anyways. I could make it work if I absolutely had to, but there are long lab classes, clinicals, etc.

 

Does anyone else have a student that just focuses on academics? I feel badly about it, mostly because a lot of the students in my classes work at least part-time (~50% of school pop. is 30+) so I feel lazy. But, I am trying to get back into volunteering at the hospital (waiting for their call back) and I don't just come home and twiddle my thumbs. I have a 4.0, so it isn't that I don't work hard.

[FaithManor]

I've been looking for a job since I've been 16. I admit, sometimes more seriously than others. I usually check out indeed.com every few weeks or look through the classifieds. I've applied to many, but have not received any call backs at all.

 

I noticed that I'm not 100% committed to looking. If I applied and got a call back, you bet I would go in and interview and accept (if it worked with college schedule) but I'm not even applying to 10+/week.

 

My parents don't care either way whether I work or just attend CC full-time. If I worked, they would take a percentage as room & board, but they're fine with me just focusing on school.

 

If I get accepted into the Medical Assisting program in the Fall, I really wouldn't have time for a job anyways. I could make it work if I absolutely had to, but there are long lab classes, clinicals, etc.

 

Does anyone else have a student that just focuses on academics? I feel badly about it, mostly because a lot of the students in my classes work at least part-time (~50% of school pop. is 30+) so I feel lazy. But, I am trying to get back into volunteering at the hospital (waiting for their call back) and I don't just come home and twiddle my thumbs. I have a 4.0, so it isn't that I don't work hard.

 

My boys, all three, will be in research oriented undergrad degrees. While they may be able to work just a few hours per week at a campus job, they will be unlikely to work themselves through college and all are likely to have merit aid scholarships that will require them to maintain 3.0's or better which means they cannot afford to let a minimum wage job get in the way of keeping their scholarships which will be worth much more. Though it would be nice for them to have summer jobs, the reality is that every program they are interested in has summer classes as well as summer internships/research projects that they will need to be involved in and so working is not a likely option.

 

When I was in college, I majored in piano performance. We had to practice a minimum four hrs. per day, took 18-21 credit hours per semester in order to graduate in 4 yrs. because the major required more credits to graduate then any other major on campus, and were assigned 8 hrs. per day of practicing in addition to summer music programs we had to volunteer in (for free too and SAYING NO WAS NOT AN OPTION!!!! :glare:) as well. Having a job meant dropping out of the program. The only thing I managed was to teach a few piano students and do some work for the music theory prof...this kept me in a few extra dollars here and there.

 

Sometimes it happens and especially for those that will be going full-time and attempting to graduate in 4 yrs.

 

Faith

[memphispeg]

My dd has a work-study job for 10 hrs. a week at her school. It gives her some spending money. During the summers, she has worked as much as she needed to achieve her "student contribution" on her aid letter. Last summer, she did an unpaid internship for a few hours a week and worked at 2 other places for money. If she had had to go to school for the summer, it would have been ok by us. But, her working experience has really helped her have perspective on the real world and how to negotiate her way through it (bad bosses, good bosses, too many hours, too few hours, etc.). Even working a few hours a week during the school year in her field has given her much to think about. The big thing is not to let "work" get in the way of your education but, add to it in some way!

[Brenda in MA]

My son has worked about 4 hrs/week during college. It's just enough to earn him a little spending money, but then he's worked at least half-time in the summer.

 

Even if you don't find something during the school year, now is the time to start looking for a summer job. Are there any seasonal business that might be looking for summer help -- think ice cream parlors, mini-golf places, etc. There might also be positions as a counselor at a summer day camp or the like.

 

Have you looked at places like supermarkets where you might be able to work a few hours a week during the school year and more in the summer? What about jobs at the CC? Do they need help in the library or in the tutoring center? Maybe if you let some of your profs know you are looking, they may have some connections.

 

I personally don't think there's anything wrong with focusing on academics, but I'd be a little worried that if you don't have at least some work experience on your resume, it might be harder for you to find a job once you've finished school.

 

Best wishes, and congrats on that 4.0!

 

Brenda

[AngieW in Texas]

My oldest is just going to school. She has a scholarship and has to maintain a minimum courseload and gpa to keep it. She can't possibly earn enough with a part-time (even full-time) job to make up what she'd lose if she lost the scholarship. We want her to concentrate on school.

 

I can't imagine my middle dd being able to manage school and a job either.

[Hunter's Moon]

Thanks for the input.

 

I agree with you Brenda about the work experience. I have exhausted all work options so far. I will continue to look and apply. But I am hoping that volunteering in the related area (office/filing) will be of some help when I apply for Med. Secretary or even Med. Asst. jobs.

 

I can't work with food of any kind due to food allergies, which limits my options quite a bit.

 

I might be able to work as a Med. Asst. once I finish the Certificate (it is a Cert. first and then a degree if you choose to go on) and while working on the degree.

[AK_Mom4]

DD18 will be working full-time this summer to stock pile $$ for her expenses, but once she heads off for college in the fall, she will not need to have a job. She can focus on her studies and plan on working when she is off for summer breaks.

[Reesegirl]

I have 3 dds. All 3 have or are majoring in a stem field. As with the previous people who have posted, my girls all had scholarships with high grade averages to keep. My oldest, a chem major worked as a TA for one of her profs during the school year, working about 10 hours a week. Over 2 of 4 summers she did research for the university and was paid fairly well. The other 2 summers she had summer jobs in our tourist industry.

 

My youngest a pre-physical therapy major, who is interested in PA school, is also a TA for a couple of biology profs working about 8-10 hours a week. Her dad and I expect her to work over the summers full time to help with her portion of tuition. Now, this summer she might spend part of the 15 week break getting her CNA certification so that she can rack up some hospital hours, as many programs in physical therapy and physican's assistant require that for grad school. So, this summer might be a little different for her.

 

My middle daughter, who is now a nurse, didn't have a job during the school year, but did work 3 of 4 summers as a CNA in our local hospital. She spent one summer on a mission trip to Zambia. She would joke with a few of her friends that she had to go to work in the library....not that she had a job, but that she had studying to do to keep her grades up. Doing so many clinical from her soph-sr year made it hard to fit in a job during the school year.

 

We have some friends who required their kids to work 20-30 hours a week while in college. I have noticed that these kids took much longer to get through college since they could not take full loads each semester. Now, maybe their finacial situation demanded it, so I won't judge them for that. I do think that having a campus job was and is good for my oldest and youngest. That money was and is theirs to spend as they want.

[Lizzie in Ma]

I've been looking for a job since I've been 16. I admit, sometimes more seriously than others. I usually check out indeed.com every few weeks or look through the classifieds. I've applied to many, but have not received any call backs at all.

 

I noticed that I'm not 100% committed to looking. If I applied and got a call back, you bet I would go in and interview and accept (if it worked with college schedule) but I'm not even applying to 10+/week.

 

My parents don't care either way whether I work or just attend CC full-time. If I worked, they would take a percentage as room & board, but they're fine with me just focusing on school.

 

If I get accepted into the Medical Assisting program in the Fall, I really wouldn't have time for a job anyways. I could make it work if I absolutely had to, but there are long lab classes, clinicals, etc.

 

Does anyone else have a student that just focuses on academics? I feel badly about it, mostly because a lot of the students in my classes work at least part-time (~50% of school pop. is 30+) so I feel lazy. But, I am trying to get back into volunteering at the hospital (waiting for their call back) and I don't just come home and twiddle my thumbs. I have a 4.0, so it isn't that I don't work hard.

 

If you are one of the fortunate folks who don't have to work to put yourself through school, I think it is wonderful to be able to focus on academics alone.

 

always wondered how much better I could have done if I weren't working 3 jobs while I put myself through. I made Dean's list my final year but it was really difficult and a lot of work. I am proud of myself but it might have been nice to not have practically killed myself to do it.

 

Even so, I might not have been temperamentally suited to not work at all, I would need at least a part time job for mad money and gas and such for my own sanity.

[Teachin'Mine]

oops

[Teachin'Mine]

Could you put your efforts into securing a job for the summer? Then you could work full-time and not have to juggle work and school. I think that your school work is the most important work you have to do right now.

[Chris in VA]

Ds works in the summer and on breaks, but not during the year. He has to contribute 1/4 of his total college expenses (about 4.5K) every year.

This summer and next, he has 8 weeks less in the summer because they do production then, so it will be tight. But he may have more time next year during the year, as he doesn't have class TH, FRI, SAT or SUN.

 

So, I'd say work in the summer and not during the year, if you can swing it.

 

But if you can, maybe fit in one evening's work, or a couple hours after school or on a day you don't have class. Heck, you could even babysit on Friday nights and make a good $50 a week. :D

[regentrude]

Some of my students do not work a job while in college, because their parents want them to focus on academics. If the family can afford it, it makes a lot of sense, because the more hours a student works, the harder it will be for him to succeed academically. A four hour class costs $1,200 in tuition, so a repeated class is expensive; a semester delay is even more expensive, and a low GPA translates directly into a loss of job opportunities or salary. Financially, it makes much more sense to focus on school and to graduate in time with a stellar GPA and some undergraduate research on the resume.

Of course this is not realistic for all students, because their parents financial situations do not allow it.

 

I will encourage my DD to focus on school and to choose a job that has a direct relation to her major: getting teaching experience as a tutor, or doing research. These do not pay well, but you learn a lot.

[momtotkbb]

Our oldest worked on summer breaks only - with the exception of one summer when we were caring for my dfil who was on Hospice and ds's "work" was helping w/ his younger siblings. We will encourage our other dc to work summers if possible but not during the school year so that they can focus on academics and school "life".

[TravelingChris]

My middle dd was unable to work and go to college. She did do research which gave her a small stipend ($150 a semester) and was also getting a stipend for being a sound person at church (100 a month). But she had no time to work otherwise- she needed the time to study. She has some learning disabilities and getting great grades was much more important to her than getting some cash. Before her illness, she ended up getting some extra money for presents by doing yard work for me when she was home and also selling some items on ebay.

[LuvingLife]

When I attend CC, I plan on working when school is "out", I also have a year left to earn some extra cash before I go to school. Hopefully I will be able to receive financial aid and an academic scholarship (offered at CC) which will relieve many of my money worries.

 

Working during school will be a lot harder to do, definitely try working during the summer or whenever school is not in session.

[Brilliant]

My dd has worked minimally (about 4 hours a week) her freshman year. She upped that to about 16 hours a week during Christmas break, and we expect her to work at least that much during summer break. This is basically for her spending money. We are paying all other expenses for her to attend a private college, so it seems fair for her to earn her Starbucks money. But we realize it would be impossible for her to work enough hours to make a dent in the tuition bill, so we don't expect that from her.

[AHASRADA]

My parents preferred that I focused on my academics in college. They worked hard to save enough $$ to send me, and didn't want my studies to suffer because I was working.

 

I did end up working about 18 hours every other weekend to pay my car insurance, gas money, etc., but that was it.

 

If your parents don't insist you work, don't. Start college, see how it goes, how you handle the course load, and if you feel you could squeeze in some work hours, go for it. Otherwise, study hard, get good grades, and get it done!

[Hunter's Moon]

Thanks for the responses, everyone.

 

I was informed yesterday that I have been accepted to the Medical Assisting program for the Fall. I will finish classes in May, and have clinicals next Summer. I plan to continue after that to the Associate's program. I will have certification though, so if I can pick up hours as a Medicall Assistant I will do so.

 

The problem is, the classes are when they tell you, the clinicals are when and where they tell you. I will also be a certified Phlebotomist through the program, but most places want a Phlebotomist who went through a program, not just took a 7-week course.

 

For this Summer, I've applied for jobs and internships to all the places I could. I can't work fast food/restaurant due to severe food allergies, but applied everywhere else. I'm hoping the Phlebotomy thing will work out after I become certified next May, since the hours are a lot more flexible than Medical Assisting hours.

[Teachin'Mine]

Congratulations on your acceptance!!!!!

 

:hurray::party::hurray:

 

I hope one of the jobs/internships comes through for the summer. Good work!!!!

[LuvingLife]

Awesome! Congratulations on your acceptance to the program and I hope all goes well for you!!:001_smile:

[memphispeg]

Big Congrats. :) :) Looks like you are on your way. Just keep on truckin' as they used to say in the old days!