The Pros and Cons of Working in College with a Full Schedule
Taking on a full course load in college is a lot of work, even without the added stress of a job. But if you’re thinking about working in college with a full schedule, because of necessity or career aspirations, there are many like you. In 2023, 42% of full-time students worked while enrolled in classes. Whatever your reason for working while taking on a full schedule of classes, there are several pros and cons to consider.
Pros of Working in College
It’s easy to focus on the cons of working in college, but there are two sides to this coin. Whether you’re working to afford tuition or just making extra money on the side, there are even more potential positives to working in college.
Grow Your Savings
First, many college students who work can build a small cushion of savings. Working college students can set aside a certain amount of money each paycheck to go in an emergency fund or high-yield savings account.
A savings account can help with unexpected expenses like medical bills, car repairs and travel funds. Growing your savings now gets you ahead on your financial goals.
Build Your Resume
Another obvious perk to working in college is building your resume. While you likely won’t work the most glamorous jobs, any work experience before graduation adds value to your skill set and resume. Anyone who’s worked as a server can add “experience in fast-paced environments” to their resume.
Need help creating your resume? Check out our step-by-step guide to writing a resume.
Make Career Connections Ahead of Time
Along with resume-building, working in college can help you create connections relevant to your career. Not every job will directly relate to your career path, but there are networking opportunities just about anywhere.
If you do end up in a job related to your major, take some time to find out who the higher-ups are and try to get to know them. For example, if you’re working night shifts at a senior care center while in school to become a nurse, find out who is in charge of the medical needs of the residents. You can contact them directly for an interview. You also can ask them for a reference letter or connect with them on online professional networks like LinkedIn.
If you’re planning on working in college, you should also try to find paid internship opportunities. Internships are an ideal atmosphere for networking and can even lead to a full-time offer after graduation.
Minimize Student Loan Debt
If you can pay for even part of your tuition costs while working in college, you’ll be better off in the long run.
Federal student aid comes with steep interest rates — up to 9.08% for the 2024–25 school year. These high-interest unsubsidized student loans can be attractive (because they tend to offer the most money), but they also begin accruing interest right away. That leaves college students with a mountain of debt after graduation.
If you do need to take out student loans, subsidized loans are best. They defer interest until you graduate and have lower interest rates. Ideally, students who are working in college would be able to pay for their tuition with their income, combined with subsidized loans, Pell grants and other financial aid.
Cons of Working in College
If you’re not sure about working in college, especially with a full class schedule, there are some cons to consider, too.
Less Time to Study
Working, full-time students have less time to study, which can make passing classes much more difficult. You may begin to perform poorly on tests and fall behind. This is especially true if you struggle with time management.
One recent study found that college students with jobs were 20% less likely to graduate than their peers, in part because of the strain on their time.
Added Stress
Just what college students need more of: stress. If you struggle with managing your stress, adding a job to your responsibilities could hold more bad than good. This is especially true with jobs that involve customer service or physical labor.
Not As Much Free Time
We all have to make a few sacrifices to follow our dreams. But are you ready — and willing — to go to fewer football games or house parties to work extra shifts?
Do What Works for You
Whether working in college is a necessity or a way to get ahead, juggling a job with a full schedule can be tricky. Some students find a happy medium with jobs related to their career path, high-paying part-time positions and on-campus opportunities. Others, however, find the stress of it all too much to handle.
If you can make working in college work for you, your future self will likely be grateful. With the potential savings, networking opportunities and lack of student loans, there are definitely pros to having a job as a student.
Either way, when it comes to working in college, you have to weigh the pros and cons in order to make the choice that’s right for you.
