Most kids that head off to college will find themselves working while in college. Not only do they need to cover the cost of tuition and books, but they still want to go out, eat out, buy new clothes, etc. While many will get scholarships and take on student loans, most will still need to be earning money while they are in college.

There is no doubt that working while in college can be challenging. Your student will need to have good time management skills, a means to manage their stress, and a strong support system.

Tips for Working While in College

Is your child a student who will be facing financial challenges in college? Will they need to be working while in college?  They will need some help to effectively weld both job and college in a manageable way.

Below you will find helpful tips to share with your teens on working while in college.

Opt for a more flexible job

I’m sure you’ve got it at the back of your mind that the college life is still more important. Why? It is time-bound. You would need to give it the needed focus if you want to achieve your desired success within stipulated time. As for business or keeping a job, you would always find enough time for that later on. But for your studies, that is never the case.

What then do you think would be the right attitude? Get a flexible job! Nothing more! Now, you would have to define and determine what you consider to be flexible for you. Advisedly, the test for a flexible job is what fits in with your studies effectively.

For example: Find a job where you can build in study time. Maybe a child care job where naps are taken, or a receptionist type job where these is down time.

Design a master plan

Once you have made up your mind as to what you want as a jobber and a scholar, you now need to create a master plan. The master plan describes in full details, all that you need to check out for to ensure you are still on the path to achieving your expected goals at the end of the day. So, a master plan helps keep your eyes on the goals.

For example: As part of your plan create a to-do list. Prioritize what needs to be done first and when. Keep a calendar. Be sure to include personal, work, and school obligations. Having everything written in one place can help you design a plan for getting it all done!

Minimize stress

I’m not saying you should totally eliminate stress. You actually cannot. But you can manage it and work to minimize it. When you manage your stress as you should, you will feel more capable of accomplishing the task of juggling working while in college.  And one thing you need to realize is that minimizing stress has to do with your habits.

For example: Try and add in at least 15-30 minutes of daily exercise. Walk briskly to class, walk on break, or if you can squeeze in some formal exercise then do so! Exercise can greatly help to reduce stress.

Can you study online?

Online courses are very flexible compared to the brick-and-mortal arrangement we have in most universities today. Taking on online class would afford you the freedom of not having to be in class at a set time, thus making your schedule more flexible.

For example: Consider taking some of your easier courses, or things you feel you don’t need to be in the classroom for. Maybe things like history or psychology, even English. Then you can flex that time you would have been in class.

Work on your reading speed

Through the use and application of some appropriate techniques, you can always enhance the speed at which you study. You cannot afford to study at the same pace you did before, simply because you need to save time.

Multitask

Many folks suppose it is only ladies that can multitask. The truth is that anyone who can apply his intelligence and couple it with diligence can multitask! This goes hand in hand with being efficient with your time. Plan your time, arrange your schedule to include less down time, less travel time, and batch things together that easily fit together.

Spare minutes?

Do not spare them! They are not really spare minutes but passing periods that most people perceive as insignificant. However, after all, they are significant. Therefore, you can choose to make the most of seeming spare minutes.

For example: You may listen to your audio textbooks as you commute in your friend’s car, you may read while you wait to receive your orders from the online store, you may skillfully arrange little, important activities for little periods.

Strategic Studying

A great challenge of work-study is overseeing the demanding study requirements. So, you need to carefully plan out the time and the way you have arranged to study. One effective method for taking care of your study requirements is to categorically divide your reading into strategic periods.

For example: If you need to read 150 pages in few weeks,  calculate the number of hours which will be available in the coming two weeks. Suppose you only have fifteen hours left to you, that means you must read about 10 pages each hour to finish up with your assignment. In the circumstances that you’re not a fast reader, you may need to allocate additional time in your study schedule. This hint helps you to do away with undue stress when you’ve got so much to cover.

As your student learns combine academics and business at this stage of their life, they will learn to realize this requires a great level of self-discipline. The good news is they will get to enjoy the fruits as they will have not only developed their intellect but prepared themselves for the ultimate challenge in the business world.

Author Bio: Peter Hill is an aussie essay writer. He is a socially active person, likes traveling and photo/video editing. He finds himself in writing for professional essay writing service Best Essays. You can find him on Twitter and Facebook.

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