It has been said before that a college student can only have two of the following things: good grades, sleep and a social life. Some college students juggle each of these three things simultaneously, and some even take it a little further by working jobs to support themselves on top of homework, friends and classes. Some students have long days because of the jobs they maintain while going to school, and finding balance and giving up time with friends are things some WT students do.
Abbey Coufal, senior Mass Communication major, balances three jobs on top of classes, school work and student organizations.
“I’m a nanny, I work in the athletic department on campus as an assistant business manager and I also have a part-time job at an urgent care center in Amarillo,” Coufal said.
In a typical week, Coufal works more than 40 hours while going to school.
“I usually work anywhere between 40 and 45 hours a week,” Coufal said. “Most of my work is done early mornings, evenings and weekends because most of my classes are in the afternoon. A typical day starts at 6 a.m. with my first job and ends at 9 p.m. with my last job.”
Bailey McFerren, senior Applied Sport major, works at Pure Water to support herself while attending WT.
“I work to pay for living expenses and adult bills,” McFerren said. “I work about 20-25 hours a week. I only work part time, so I do have some free time, but that’s when I spend my time studying and catching up on homework.”
Some students who work during their college careers establish schedules and do not allow themselves to fall behind.
“I have to force myself to do homework,” Coufal said. “If I don’t, then I will fall behind. There isn’t much flexibility in my schedule to put off homework.”
Finding balance is another key factor in staying successful while working through school.
“Having balance just means making a routine,” McFerren said. “It’s usually all morning classes [for me], going straight to work, then home to do homework, and it starts over the next day. On my days off, I just make time to do a few fun things before homework.”
McFerren and Coufal also give up time with their friends in order to keep up with their school and work schedules. McFerren says a challenge for her is having to miss certain events because of her work schedule. She often misses out on being with her friends due to being at work. Coufal also finds it difficult to find time to hang out with friends.
“Working during school makes scheduling middle school science projects with groups or hanging out with friends difficult,” Coufal said. “Sometimes I am unable to hang out with friends. I am really blessed to have understanding friends that are basically just as busy as I am. We always make time for each other. It’s just part of growing up.”
Kim Bruce, instructor of Mass Communication, said professors at WT are aware that many students support themselves by working while going to college.
“A lot of our students are self-sustaining,” Bruce said. “They pay for their own everything, and because of that, I think a lot of them work an enormous amount of time or hours.”
Bruce said professors take it into consideration when planning upcoming tests and homework assignments.
“It’s definitely something we as faculty juggle in reference to homework and tests and the work load,” Bruce said. “I think it can interfere with schoolwork, but thankfully we have a lot of students [at WT] who have learned to juggle carefully and do creative things like working in the evening hours and being at school in the daytime hours. I’m honestly always aware that I have students working and what kind of impact that has on their ability to do a lot outside of class.”
Bruce said she would advise freshman students not to work more than 20 hours, but that she, and other professors, understands there are a number of students on campus who need to.
Despite the ongoing struggle to keep up with homework and not fall behind while also giving up time with friends, McFerren said it feels good to work while going to school.
“It feels like I am accomplishing more with my life,” McFerren said. “I’ve made great friends [at work] too, so it’s okay because they understand what it’s like to miss things too.”
Coufal said working full-time is nothing new for her, and she is gaining valuable experience while working three jobs and going to school.
“My family values work ethic, so working over 40 hours a week while going to school is just something that’s normal for me,” Coufal said. “Honestly, I can’t imagine not working in college. I love knowing that I am independent, learning time management skills, and am getting some pretty great experience on my resume.”