It can be overwhelming to balance academics, campus involvement and a social life while you’re in college. When you add having a part-time job or an internship into the mix it can be quite challenging. However, many students at St. John’s manage it. It makes you wonder, how does one do it?
Keishmy Maisonet, a sophomore, works nearly 20 hours a week as a receptionist in a law office while going to school full-time. She has the job to pay for not only her tuition and schoolbooks, but for other expenses, such as car insurance and gas. Maisonet is a legal studies major, so working in the law office gives her an insight into her future career field.
“The hardest thing to balance between school and work is participating in things on campus and hanging out with friends,” Maisonet said. “From school, I race to work and then from work I go home where I’m tired of staring at a computer all day, so I don’t feel like doing the rest of my school work.”
A survey conducted by Citigroup and Seventeen magazine found that just 18 percent of college students are paying their way through school, even though four out of five have part-time jobs. The survey found that “41 percent rely on financial aid while 16 percent said scholarships get them through college. Another 22 percent said that their parents cover the bill.”
Shanaz Ali, a senior, is a team leader for the Jumpstart program on the St. John’s Queens campus. She works between 12-25 hours a week because she loves working with children and making a difference in their lives, but also because she has to pay half of her tuition.
As an Advertising and Communications major, she gets to put her design skills to work by having craft sessions with the kids. In Ali’s group, they were reading Max’s Dragon Shirt where Max got ice cream all over him, so she made an ice cream stand out of cardboard for the kids to play with. They had a great time playing with it and she is contemplating making a washing machine for this lesson as well.
Some students are fortunate enough that they received scholarships or have parents who are paying their bill, so they get jobs for other reasons. Jennifer Schneider, a senior public relations major, got a job to build experience in the makeup industry. She currently sells cosmetics for the makeup brand Too Faced. Schneider also has her own business, Jenn Elyse Makeup, where she does makeovers and consultations for clients.
“Time management definitely gets to be tough sometimes,” Schneider said about balancing work and her studies. “I’m a procrastinator too, but it’s not an issue when I manage my time wisely.”
Senior Ashley Bhuanlall also has a job for experience rather than earning money. She is a core member in Ali’s team for Jumpstart. “I always thought having a job and going to school full-time is a hard thing to do, which is why I started in my senior year,” Bhuanlall said. “With Jumpstart it’s fairly flexible and I love doing it, and being able to work with the children, so I don’t find it hard to juggle the two.”
Recently, Bhuanlall got an internship at A Free Bird—a nonprofit that helps children who have cancer or are survivors get an outlet through the arts. She works in their PR department three times a week on their media kit and social media plan. This is perfect for her because Bhuanlall is a Public Relations major and relishes in getting her feet wet in the industry. “As for juggling work and school, it’s getting tough because I have 18 credits, Jumpstart and now this. But I’m learning to manage time better and trying not to procrastinate,” she said.
Getting involved in school is important because it not only helps you make friends, but you enjoy the experience so much more. However, having a job while in school can make it difficult to do so. Ali used to be in the Ad Club and Red Cross Club. The clubs’ meetings only take place during common hour, which is when she works, so she is unable to attend.
Bhuanlall has been involved in the National Society of Leadership and Success, TARA Club and Women’s Gender Studies Club since her freshman year. “I don’t feel like these affect or interfere with my job, since I’ve been doing them for so long, and most meetings and other involvement opportunities happen during common hour,” she said.
It is completely possible for students to maintain a full-time student status, while maintaining a job and participating in campus life. Once you find a groove that works for you, it’ll be easy to balance and enjoy yourself. Do as much as you can while you’re young and enjoy life.
