Being a college student can be a full-time job, but many students choose to work part-time alongside their studies. In fact, more than 70% of undergraduates were employed during college, with 40% of them working more than 30 hours per week.
Working part time has many benefits for students, but it also introduces additional challenges. Read on to learn the pros and cons of working as a student.
Pros of Working a Part Time Job as a Student
Here are some advantages of working part-time while in college.
Earn Some Money to Offset Tuition Costs
Odds are that you won’t be able to make enough money to completely cover all your tuition and living expenses, but working while studying can help alleviate some of the pressure.
On average in the United States, a year of college costs over $36,000. Working full-time (2000 hours per year), you’d have to make at least $18 per hour to break even (assuming every penny goes towards paying for school). Working that much and earning that much per hour is unrealistic for most part-time jobs. That said, working part-time can reduce the amount you need to borrow, which will greatly benefit you in the future.
Working part-time can reduce some of the financial burden of attending college.
Improve GPA
According to one study, students who worked between 10 and 19 hours per week actually had higher GPAs then those that didn’t work.
Having additional responsibilities can force you to increase your organization and time management skills. Because you are juggling more, it creates a situation where you need to build systems to excel. This 10-19 hours of working per hour seems to be the sweet spot of having enough work that you need to build those skills, but not so much that you’re overwhelmed.
I do think it’s a bit of a chicken and an egg situation where those who are more disciplined are the ones seeking employment, but it also allows you to build your discipline. Regardless, having a part-time can help you perform better in school.
Interact with Different Types of People
When you’re in school, you’re typically surrounded by people who are in a similar age range and demographic as you. Working part-time can expose you to different personalities, which can help you become a better people person.
Typically, people gravitate to those that are similar to them. If you are anything like I was, you’re surrounded by friends who are of a similar age to you, and a similar socio-economic status. You have the occasional interaction with professors or teaching assistants, but the majority of your interactions will be with people who are like you. This may be easy and fun, but the reality is that you’re going to need to learn how to interact with all sorts of people in a career.
When working part-time, you’re exposed to a group of people that may be totally different than you. They could be of different ages, cultures, mindsets, etc. This may be uncomfortable, but can help you build empathy by learning about new perspectives and ways of thinking.
It also may expose you to less than stellar people. You may work for a boss that is controlling or unkind. This is by no means ideal, but it does allow you to build up your resilience in a relatively low stakes situation. This is a crucial skill as you navigate life and deal with difficult people.
Ultimately, working with different people will push your comfort zone and help you expand your perspectives.
Build Time Management Skills
Adding additional responsibilities can force you to improve. Working part-time adds more onto your plate, meaning that if you’re going to keep up you need to build skills.
A great life skill is time management. Time management is the ability to make decisions about how to spend your time that allows you to maximize your output. When you add working part-time to a college workload, it compresses the time you have. This may force you to be more intentional with the time that you do have.
This may look like scheduling out work periods or planning out your week in advance. It may also spur you to manage a calendar, helping you to be more organized in general.
It will feel uncomfortable initially, but you’ll soon find you’re excelling.
Build Personal Pride
Alongside the skills and perspectives you can build while working part-time, you can also build a sense of personal pride.
In my life, the times I’ve felt the best are the ones where I am managing my time well and juggling all my responsibilities. It feels great to be succeeding at all the things on your plate.
Managing your school workload, while also work part-time can allow you to feel busy and like you’re being productive. This is something that can build intrinsic confidence and prove to yourself that you are capable.
Build Resume
Working part-time as a student is a great way to bolster your resume and set you apart from other candidates.
There are plenty of on-campus jobs that look great on a resume. This could be aiding a professor in their research, working as a teaching assistant for a course, or supporting a group on campus. These can show responsibility and interest in your field of study, which is something that hiring managers look for.
Even if your job is not related to your field of study, working while studying can communicate that you are responsible and able to manage your time. In fact, I had a manager that confessed that one thing that attracted him to a coworker of mine what his experience working at McDonald’s. Having this job displayed he was motivated to work while in school and showed discipline.
Working part-time can be a differentiator for your future career pursuits.
Build Connections
Being a good employee can be a great way to build connections.
Depending on the job you hold, your employer may have industry connections. For example, I had professors during my engineering degree that had connections to companies that hired students. This helped some of my classmates get great jobs.
Even if your supervisor doesn’t have industry connections, they can serve as a great reference for future hiring managers.
Cons of Working Part-Time as a Student
As much has working part-time as a student can be beneficial, there are some key cons to be aware of.
Stress
College is a stressful time.
Typically, you’re adjusting to living away form home for the first time, and you are learning to self-regulate and take care of yourself. On top of this, the workload associated with your degree can be really heavy. This is a perfect recipe for stress, and I can personally attest that my undergrad was one of the most stressful times of my life.
Adding a part-time job on top of this can just make the existing stress worse. Especially during busy times of the semester, if you have to worry about your job on top of your studies, it can be debilitating.
This isn’t to say that it’s not possible to manage stress with a part-time job. But it’s important to recognize your individual capabilities and circumstances and recognize what tactics you have to deal with stress.
Time
In line with a part-time job affecting your stress levels, it can also take up significant time.
Depending on your degree, your studies can be the equivalent of a full-time job. I remember in my busiest semesters, I had 30 hours of class a week, with all my schoolwork on top of that. I can’t even imagine adding another 10-20 hours per week of working on top of that.
It’s important to recognize how much time you have, and how much time you’re willing to commit to a part-time job. It’s also worth considering which type of job will accommodate your schedule.
With that said, some may find that having too much time is counter productive. I find that when I’m keeping myself busy, I’m happier and more productive, so getting a part-time job can serve this purpose for you.
Social Life
Depending on the type of job you get, it can affect your social life.
Because the typical class schedule runs during the daytime, a part-time job will typically have to be done in the evening or on the weekend. This is prime socialization time.
Your part-time job may mean you have to say no to social events. This isn’t to say that you can’t have a thriving social life alongside a part-time job, but just know that this sacrifice will have to be made at some point.
Reduce GPA
Depending how many hours you work, having a job can have a negative impact on your GPA.
If you work between 0-10, or 20+ hours per week, studies have shown there can be negative impact on your GPA. Interestingly, there does seem to be a sweet spot of working 10-19 hours where it can actually increase GPA.
Regardless, working part-time adds one more responsibility onto your plate, so think about if it’s something that can be done while maintaining your grades.
Missing Out on Extra Curriculars
College is a fantastic time to try new things and get involved with things you’re passionate about. A great way to do this is to join clubs or teams in your area of interest.
Depending on the level of involvement in the extra-curricular, it can take as much if not more time than a part-time job. When I was in my third year of school, I was on the executive team for an engineering design team. The typical time commitment was 10-20 hours per week on top of my schoolwork. At that level of involvement, juggling school, extra curriculars, and a job is extremely challenging. That said, it is possible, particularly if your job is on-campus.
Ultimately, your decision on whether or not you work while in school is entirely dependent on your individual circumstances. You may need the extra income, and in that case it’s worth working through the considerations of the job you choose. Or you may find you can get away with not working, and instead experience college fully. Just make sure you are making the decision that’s right for you.