I hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day weekend. After Labor Day weekend I was called to work immediately for an important task that required travel. This task required daily 12 hour training and was in the classroom and outside practical exercise training. Long story short these tasks that required me to travel 5 hours away from my home of residence and long hours of work have put me at a temporary setback with my education. Which brings me to the topic of this post, "Working Students."
In today's society many students are finding it difficult to afford college and living expenses at the same time. This has forced many students into either part time or full time work. I work full time, which usually entails at least 50 hours per week. It can be difficult at times but as long as I stay on a fixed schedule I can manage all of my responsibilities. The concept of taking student loans to cover these expenses scares students and can impact you financially the rest of your life; but many jobs that students are qualified for, will only make a scratch in the tuition so they're force to take the loans or take less classes. This creates a major issue with the progression of our young members of society. We are forced to work ourselves to death to pay for basic living expenses and our education in order to succeed in life, or we just take the loans and pay for it later.
Education in my lifetime has shifted from purely academic to knowledge for profit. Not all institutions are alike, but many students shouldn't have to choose between affording an education or working ridiculous hours to afford the chance at it. This is just my opinion and I could be wrong but the working student has become the new normalcy for college students.
I had a relaxing Labor Day weekend, thank you. I agree that it is difficult to afford college and living expenses. I signed up on a whim after a chat with my daughter and an e-mail from work about tuition reimbursement (which I totally missed the deadline for because I did it all at the last minute and did not have documentation required from work.) Hopefully financial aid will cover most of my expenses for this semester and next semester I will have everything in order to take advantage of the tuition reimbursement for work.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was going for my Bachelors at UNLV I worked 2 part time jobs to help me pay for school and also pay for living expenses but I did it because I didn't want to take any loans out and go into debt. I was also very fortunate to get the millennium scholarship to help pay for school. It's so hard to balance work and school but if it's important enough to you it can be done.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your work requirements after Labor Day weekend. I knew something took you away from your coursework but with your proactive work since the semester began, you are still in the front of the class :-)
ReplyDeleteI admire your discipline, working a 50 hour work week, and college. Wow, I applaud you one more time. I just wrote about this week being busy for myself, but not as well as yourself. I do agree a student "shouldn't have to choose between affording an education or working ridiculous hours to afford the chance at it".
ReplyDeleteYou are exactly right, "Education in my lifetime has shifted from purely academic to knowledge for profit." I always wondered why some institutions, require their students to pay absurd fees, such as parking. Luckily for students at CSN, parking is free- as for UNLV, parking comes with a cost unless you plan to walk 25 minutes to class.
ReplyDeleteI've worked my whole higher education career up till this year. Thankfully I had scholarships that covered the majority of my academic costs but the majority of my check would go to the remaining costs and transportation. I think all hardships build character, but the fact that academia is wildly inaccessible and classist is nothing but a fact. That is just a small part of a larger conversation on the oppression of the working class through educational segregation.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly how you feel. Balancing both work and school is difficult but not impossible. Having a schedule helps out a lot but even with a schedule.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you that trying to manage time between work and school it's hard.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I feel like no one should be limited by financial needs to better themselves. Money is one of the biggest obstacles concerning college. But at the end of the day, sadly, colleges are businesses. I'm fortunate enough to have the support of my family.
ReplyDeleteBeing a full-time working student is a definite struggle, especially for people who have other projects in the works aside from academics. The best advice I was given in order to feel content with my life in college was to always keep going one step at a time, no matter what pace your at. This way I can feel abundance in my life by being able to work, go to college, and pursue my other passions aside from the academics.
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