There’s this myth out there that once you begin your post-secondary education, you’ll be able to focus full-time on your classes in the fall and winter. With your newfound credentials, you’ll be able to find an internship or entry-level position in the summer that’s not only relevant to your field, but also pays well enough to cover your rent and tuition for the following year. Oh, and don’t forget to take time to relax, and get some partying done, and of course you have to travel! You’re only young once! Ugh.
That myth was busted pretty rapidly for me in my first year, when I budgeted enough for my off-campus rent but neglected to factor in the price of food, and things only deteriorated from there.
Now, not everyone is risking actually going hungry like stupid first-year me, but if you want to actually experience the “student life” you keep hearing about, you’re going to need disposable income—and if you didn’t roll out of high school with 30 grand in savings, chances are you’re going to need to work during the year. As well, the jobs you’re qualified for will probably have nothing whatsoever to do with your major, unless you’re lucky enough to have a paid co-op. This means you’re going to face a few challenges.
The first one is balancing your workload. It is really, really hard to do two totally separate things at the same time. Whether you finish your shift splattered with hot fryer grease or stressed out from urgent emails, it’s really important to manage not just your schedule, but your stress levels and your actual brain content.
When you’re mentally juggling the main theories on the causes of failed states in the global south with this weekend’s lunch specials at work, one or both may not work out for you. You can’t fully immerse yourself in critical post-Marxist discourse and be a good retail rep at Suzy Shier at the same time. You will go nuts. Let yourself focus on school when you’re at school and work when you’re at work and don’t let stress about one turn into stress about the other.
It’s not always easy to stay motivated when what you’re doing has nothing to do with what you’re studying to do. You may need to be a bit creative to make it feel relevant. For example, I work in a call center, which has precious little to do with my journalism major. But it gave me buckets of confidence over the phone, a heightened ability to ask people nosy questions, and really speedy typing! All of these are transferable skills I can use in my field later on. I advise you to do the same: break down the minutiae of your workday into smaller skills, and you’ll begin to find ways that you’re gaining useful experience. Even if you can’t convince yourself, you’ll at least have something to put on your resume.
Your focus while in school should be, well, school, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important to succeed at work. Even if this job isn’t super relevant to your field, you’re going to need references when you do look for employment post-graduation, so it’s important that you make good impressions. Connections are huge when looking for work and if you’re not related to anybody particularly fancy, you’ll have to meet them yourself, starting with whoever signs your paycheques now.
Working a random part-time job while in school can be stressful, but it also means less debt, more connections, more skills and most importantly, more cash to throw around. Make the best of it while you’re wallowing behind a stack of dishes, merchandise, or paperwork. If nothing else, the ability to suffer through boring tasks with a smile makes you highly employable.
