The Student News Site of Utica University

The Tangerine

The Student News Site of Utica University

The Tangerine

The Student News Site of Utica University

The Tangerine

Striking balance between work and school

Rylee Meelan, Staff Writer

 

Working through college won’t cover all of the expenses of a student’s education. However, there’s good news for the ones who are working while juggling school. It will help lighten the burden of debt and will pay off in other ways. The number of students working is increasing as tuition expenses also continue to increase.

According to College Board, for the 2014-2015 school year, the average cost of tuition, room and board and fees at a four-year public college was $18,943 for in state students. Private universities were costing students on average $42,419 for just one year.

Working, for some students means an education or none. Some college’s tuition continues to rise, but at Utica College the tuition decreased. That bill is still a lot for students to manage.

“For me, I am doing all of it myself, which is why I choose to work so much,” said junior Gianna Cavalier. “Other than tuition, it’s important that I have money to pay my rent and groceries each month.”

Cavalier also stated that for students who live on campus, the best idea for them is to obtain a work-study job. This allows students to work on campus and have some money for when they need it. Most work study jobs are also extremely helpful for those students who have busy schedules because everyone will help you work around a schedule.

Being a student while in college is a full time job in itself. The long hours in the library and the dedication to keep grades up to be successful and graduate is a lot for students to handle. But some students are going above the full time student gig and work on top of all the homework, projects, studying and everything else that comes with being a student.

“It is pretty difficult, not going to lie, especially when I was working full time,” said Cavalier. “Time for a social life goes like completely out the window. Normally all I focus on is workouts in the mornings, school during the day and work at night, or wherever any of that fits into a 24 hour day. I’m still managing to hold good grades, but I think it’s because I’m devoting all of my free time to studying, so I know that my grades aren’t compromised in all of this.”

Cavalier stays dedicated to her work because she understands how important all of this is to her future.

Having a job also teaches students important life lessons that they can imply in their life later on. Aside from lessons, having a job while handling a grueling college schedule shows future employers good work ethic. Employers look for people who are dedicated and put hard work into where they are.

“Having a job while being a full time student has taught me a lot,” said sophomore Becky Kauffman. “It has taught me how to be independent, how to manage my money better and how to multitask. It’s also helped me become more mature. Overall, having a job has helped me a lot.”

In the off-season, some student athletes have taken part time jobs so they are able to have some money. Schoolwork is difficult already, having practices and workouts every day only adds on to some student’s schedules.

“During season, it’s almost impossible to work because of how busy our schedule is and when I’m not at a practice, I’m studying and doing homework,” said junior Jordan Noga. “In the off season, I work enough so I can manage without working during field hockey season. It adds a lot of stress but I couldn’t imagine not working.”

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