During the last 8 months while I have been working in my co-op job I have been trying my hardest to save up enough money to cover my expenses at university between September and April of next year. Now since I have been working a 9-5 and making a consistent full-time paycheck I know I”m really going to miss the constant flow of money that comes with being employed. During previous semesters at school I haven’t worked during school and have watched my chequing account balance slowly disappear. So, one of the things I’ve started to consider for my final year is whether or not I want to start working during university and if it really makes sense for me to do so.

Working During University

Personally I don’t have any experience actually working a part-time job while attending university but played varsity soccer for 3 years which was pretty much the equivalent during my fall semesters during that time. I do understand the commitment and one of the concerns most people have is lack of time during the school year to take on a part time job versus just solely focusing on school work. One of things I’ve learned from playing soccer and having about 2 hours of practice every night is that it actually forces you to manage your time better, and I definitely watched a lot less TV online.

Things to Consider

Now I’m not telling you to just throw yourself into a part-time job during the school year, there are a few things to think about before you decide about taking on a job.

• How many courses will you be taking during the semester? Is it more or less than you normally take?
• Does a lack of money stress you out? If it does, having a part-time job may actually make your semesters at school a little less stressful.
• Do you actually need money? Sometimes you may receive money from OSAP, your parents etc or you may have saved up enough from a summer job and scholarships
• Is the job close to campus? Will I have to travel far distances to get there? If it’s really inconvenient and takes more than 15-20 minutes to get to it may take up too much of your time.
• Will the job improve your resume for the better? Is the job relevant to your degree program?
• Is your lack of money as a result of lack of budgeting or actually just not having made enough during the summer?

These are some of things you should definitely think about before you start considering a part-time job because it can add additional stress to your school semester and leave you with less free time. If you need to really focus on your grades it may not be in your best interest to earn $1000 during the semester when redoing multiple courses could cost you much more than that.

Will I Take On A Part-Time Job?

Well as of right now I’ve found a few jobs that may work for me, one of which is on campus and will be easy to access and also will give me skills I can use to boost my resume with degree relevant experience. Those are definitely important aspects for me when it comes to selecting a part-time job, because I don’t have a lot of time to spare and want to make the most of my time as well. It would be nice to have some additional money that I can save up for a post-grad trip that I want to take as well as give me some money to also possibly invest while I’m at school. As of right now I’m going to start applying and see what happens, if the job feels right and I am willing to take on the time commitment that the job requires I will take it. In the end it will boost my resume and prove that I can really manage my time well and that I am open to new types of work.

Are you considering working during university? or did you decide to work during school in the past?