Managing School and Work

This semester has been my first time attempting to manage 16 units as well as a part time job and let me tell you, this has not been exactly easy. 

I started working at Blenders in the Grass on the mesa this summer to collect some extra money before school started and wasn't sure if I was going to continue working throughout the semester, but when it came time to decide, I realized that my spending habits really didn't leave me with any choice; so I decided to continue working to see how it went. (Not to mention I met a lot of really cool people through working at Blenders, which made it A LOT easier to stay......Which brings me to another point-if you are an incoming freshman, getting a job is such a great way to meet people!)

Anyways... The first couple weeks of school were absolutely brutal. I ended up having to add calculus to my course load, along with taking neuroscience, sociology and anthropology, which was of course a big stressor. Figuring out how to balance a significant amount of homework as well as an ever-changing work schedule proved to be very hard. Since the work schedule at Blenders is different every week, I had a hard time adjusting and finding time to do homework...and eat. But let me tell you, the determination I had to make everything balance out and work in my life really paid off. After a couple of weeks, I began to get into as much of a routine as I could, and the schedule at work seemed to level out to where everyone had basically the same shifts every week, give or take a few shifts. I ended up bringing my homework with me to work and getting some of the busy work done on my breaks. I am so happy with my decision to continue working because it is so nice to be able to have your own money that you earned to go out and spend freely. It has also given me such a sense of accomplishment to be able to balance 16 units as well as a part time job, achieve good grades and still have a bit of extra time left over to hang out with friends and do all of that fun college stuff.

My advice to you:

If you have been considering getting a job, I would highly recommend it. It is such a good experience for life down the road-you really learn how to balance your time and even if it is hard at first, it will get easier once you get into the swing of things! And sure, there are going to be days when you're exhausted and have to stay up extra late finishing up that essay after work, but it will all be worth it when you get your big pay check at the end of the month!