Balancing Work and School — and Life
Balance. It may feel impossible, or maybe just unrealistic. It is true, that balance can be achieved as a full-time student also working part-time, but it takes steps that involve prioritizing your wellbeing. Having done it myself, I believe there are many unique routes to being an employee and a student that can mesh well with the maintenance of our lifestyles as college students.
During my second year of college, I started my first part-time job as a student. Unique to any other year, it was 2020 and the classes at my university were fully remote, so I spent most of my time in my apartment. Every Friday and Saturday afternoon, I would venture to a local fine dining restaurant to serve dinner to anywhere between 30–45 guests until late into the night. I loved being a server, but at times, I struggled to balance my job with my full-time student status. Right after I finished classes for the week, I switched to “server mode” for the whole weekend — a mode that was not any less demanding to my brain than school. I loved meeting new guests, welcoming regulars, and being around chefs who turned food into art — but with each of these tasks brought great responsibility. Between dinner guests, the kitchen, managers, and everything in between, there was lots to juggle in only a 5-hour period. I wanted to take this time during the pandemic when I couldn’t spend my weekends in social settings to rather spend time working and meeting new people in that setting. However, I learned a lot about myself when my weekends revolved around being a server. Simply put: I learned I needed to take breaks. In the beginning, this was something I was almost ashamed to admit, but I now feel it is a strength and has taught me a broader message. I felt pulled in so many different directions, like I had to give my school, my work, my friends, and my family all 100%, which ultimately left me spread too thin because of my lack of free time. Although I miss serving every day and will never forget the amazing times I had boding with guests over recommending dinner orders, I am thankful for all of the lessons it taught me.
One year later, after the pandemic began to subside and the world began to open again, I was gearing up to go back to school in person. I knew that my coursework was going to be a lot more rigorous as a third year, and I wanted to prepare myself to be able to give it my all. I was fortunate enough to start a remote internship at this time, and I transitioned from being in a fine dining server position to a more flexible work environment. I highly recommend finding an internship that works with your schedule while being a college student. It is an opportunity to maintain an edge on your resume while gaining real world insights that will be very applicable to what you study in the classroom. After a highly analytical class, I can flex my creative muscles by helping out with different tasks.
Despite having weekends free from my internship and school to take a deep breath, it is not all rose colored. Instead of having a weekly schedule where I arrive to the restaurant at 5 PM every day, I am instead left to my own devices to create my work schedule. This initially got off to a rocky start and, with time, taught me the highs and lows of self-discipline. Integrating my work and school schedule got easier over time, and I made it a priority to stick to a certain routine to make sure that I could make others and myself happy. Being able to plan out a schedule that works best for me is something I am very thankful for, and I think makes me productive overall. However, it all comes down to balance.
On that note, after spending almost two years trapped amongst a pandemic, I also wanted to prioritize enjoying the years I had left in college on top of school and work. A remote internship that allowed for flexible work also allowed me to do the things I still wanted to do, whether it was catching up on emails in the sun at one of my university’s parks or joining my friends for their dinner reservations at the end of a long day. My last piece of advice would be to not forget about yourself. You are only able to produce good work when you are in an environment that allows you to feel good. Find the right fit for you — and feel free to shop around for work experiences until you feel like you have. Again, it is doable, but it’s all about balance. I can’t wait to see you succeed!
