Many students who are enrolled in full-time studies at the University of Guelph simultaneously hold a job. Whether working to pay for school or simply have extra spending money, these students must learn a very valuable skill: time management. Not only must they manage between school and work, but also friends, family and any extracurricular activities.
The balancing act is not as easy as some may think. Although student jobs are very accommodating toward class schedules, time to do school work is never actively taken into account. Any volunteering or sports must also be fit in to your own time; although, realistically, each of these commitments have individual schedules that may change slightly from week to week, disrupting any pattern that was first established.
This kind of precarious balancing act of schedules forces schoolwork to be put on the back burner. As students, we may not always be prepared for class because we are behind on the week’s readings. Therein lies a worrisome danger of working while studying: falling behind in school. Since it is never anyone’s intention to fail classes, working students use all unoccupied free time to catch up on schoolwork.
However, socializing is also an important part of our lives as university students. Catching up with friends, going out and letting your parents know you’re alive and well is important for 18 to 25 year-olds. Even though we pretend to have mastered independence, there is a constant craving for the love and support that comes from maintained relationships.
Don’t be fooled: balancing being a student and working will not result in a failed social life or bad grades. There are many students who have mastered the skill of time management and are successful in all aspects: school, work, relationships and extracurricular. I can proudly say that I have somehow managed to create a balance of my time between the people and activities that are important to me, on top of working and my studies – yes mom, I am eating and sleeping too!
The simple reality is that the initial combination of school and a job is tricky to accommodate. So, to all the other students and professors out there: do not be quick to judge students as unprepared or lazy slackers. We are simply trying to figure out how to properly balance the seesaw lifestyle we are living.
About
The Ontarion publishes independent, student-produced news, opinion, and commentary for University of Guelph students so that they can make informed decisions in their lives. To do this, The Ontarion provides learning opportunities and training in journalism, media production, leadership, board governance, and other aspects of nonprofit news.
The Ontarion is the University of Guelph’s independent student newspaper. It began in 1951 as part of the Ontario Agricultural College and then began to represent the entire University of Guelph once it amalgamated in 1964. The Ontarion incorporated in May 1970 as The Ontarion, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation registered with the province of Ontario.