Whether it’s a job at Nelson Market or Kroger, the responsibility of being a full-time student worker in college is becoming harder to handle due the to rising costs in the economy and the demanding classes that are being offered at universities.
As the school year begins to pick up the pace, students may find themselves scrambling to find open job positions on and off campus. But after finally being hired, some begin to realize that juggling school and work at the same time may be a little more demanding than they had initially presumed.
According to Ohio University’s Human Resources, the maximum amount of time a student holding a university position could be scheduled every week used to be 20 hours. However, the university recently raised the work limit to 25 hours per week, according to a previous Post report. That increase in hours affects how much time students have to focus on assignments. Consequently, the less time students have to study, the more stress they are likely to experience.
A heavy workload on top of academic assignments forces students to cope with their stress by developing habits. Libby Wertz, a senior studying psychology, works 25 hours a week as a research assistant for OU’s Center for Intervention Research in Schools. Committed to school and several clubs as well, Wertz said working full time forced her to find a sense of organization.
“Fitting 25 hours a week into my schedule has taught me time management and responsibility because I do not have a set schedule,” Wertz said.
Mackenzie Milam, a junior studying public health, recently accepted a job offer at Kroger as a ClickList associate. ClickList is a convenient service provided by Kroger where customers can pre-order groceries online and pick them up in store within hours with the help of an associate.
The position requires Milam to work 35 hours per week gathering customers’ groceries on top of her college assignments. As she becomes more involved in her major, there is an increasing demand for her to focus on assignments and group work.
With a full time job piling onto her studies as well, feeling overwhelmed begins to sound like an understatement.
“I rarely have time to sleep. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. I definitely feel stressed out on a daily basis,” Milam said.
When asked her reason for working so many hours, Milam said, “I’m working because I don't like things to be handed to me. I’d rather work for what I have.”
Very few students can find time to squeeze an extra 35 hours of work into their week, but others simply cannot find enough time in the day to have a full time job without letting it affect their grades.
Alfred Weiner, director of Counseling and Psychological Services at Ohio University, suggested working part time instead to maintain healthy stress levels.
“The typical scenario is to take 15 to 16 credits and work 12 hours per week,” Weiner said. “Trying to achieve this balance may become more problematic and stressful when students decide to take more.”
Though working in college might be encouraged, it can easily overpower students. College is already rigorous enough as it is.
“It would probably also be helpful to come to CPS and talk with a counselor about your struggle and get some ideas on how to get some control of your life,” Weiner said.
For more information about Counseling and Psychological Services at Ohio University, visit: https://www.ohio.edu/counseling/
