It’s almost back to school time. Are you ready? Are you enjoying all of the commercials about the great “back-to-college-savings” or what? More importantly, are you going to be working this semester?
A reader comment actually inspired me to write about the idea of working while in college. My experience with working in college is that I tried to work full-time every term that I was in school. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to graduate debt free and go away every year for Spring Break.
Nate wrote in a comment about working in college on a previous post:
I could work 40 hours a week (and occasionally do), and still finish my honors thesis a semester early. School is not hard! I can’t stand it when advisors advise you not to work more than 20 hours a week. If a person is incapable of handling their undergraduate studies and a job simultaneously, they should reconsider higher education altogether!
How can you work while in college? It’s actually really easy. I’ve written about this topic tirelessly around here. I included some of my best work on the subject at the bottom of the article.
The beauty about working in college is that you don’t have to hold down a gig that you hate and will hurt your grades. You can use college as an opportunity to start working on your own business/side projects.
If you think that I’m full of it, check out what Seth Godin wrote in Linchpin:
The only way to prove (as opposed to assert) that you are an indespensable linchpin– someone worth recruiting, moving to the top of the pile, and hiring– is to show, not tell. Projects are the new resumes.
[Check out: Why College Is The Best Time To Start A Business.]
Now I want to end this article by asking you again: are you going to be working this semester?
Check out some excellent posts on this topic:
Productivity Issues Facing College Students.
Time Management Tips To Help You Kick Butt.
A Quick & Effective Tip For Reaching Goals.
I graduated debt free also. I paid nothing for my undergraduate and nothing for my master’s. When I would explain to my friends how I did this unthinkable task they were shocked. I worked. I also used the resources the school gave me to not pay for stuff. I was a resident assistant (the people who watch over people in the dorms) and they paid for my housing and my food. i also worked at home depot, which offered tuition reimbursement.
I graduated with a unique degree which allowed me to apply for graduate assistant spots. The key here was I did not apply anywhere that would not pay me to go to school and that wouldn’t pay for all of my school.
I think people get in the mind set that we have to take out loans and we have to use ALL of the money they give us. Choices I made gave me the opportunity to not owe any money. It is strange to me how many people will make the choice to owe money when all they have to do is look for a way to have something paid for, especially when it comes to school. (like scholarships)