Going to college and working a full time job

<p>Well, I am 20 and am going to go back to school in January for Computer Science at a community college. I'm working a full time job however, and was wondering if anyone else has experience doing this, and how easy this would be to balance college work and my job.</p>

<p>I’m currently doing the same. But I’m lucky enough to have a job where my boss knows my education is top priority and I have lots of down time to study while at work. I’d still be able to do it if I didn’t have such an awesome job, but it’d be a lot harder. Weekends aren’t as relaxing as they used to be since a lot of studying and assignments end up having to be done then. Currently, I work full-time during the day and attend classes in the afternoon/night, with the exception of one early morning class that wasn’t offered at any other time. </p>

<p>I’ll admit, it’s somewhat stressful, but it just adds to the motivation and has made time pass by extremely fast. The one thing I strongly suggest is some sort of day planner or something you can use to block off time. Planning ahead and allotting time to all the tasks that need to get done is key. To-Do lists and daily schedules keep me sane. :)</p>

<p>Lots of folks do this. You will survive. Best hint I can give is to check out your professors before signing up. Be very choosy. You only have time to take classes that provide value for your effort and time.</p>

<p>My boyfriend is a CS major but he graduated and is working full time going for his master’s in CS…from what I understand CS is EXTREMELY difficult to handle in undergrad. He used his loans and scholarships instead of working to pay for school because CS major classes get really demanding the farther you get into your major. Its also possible to think that a class will be easy when it ends up being a weeder class. Lou is right, definitely check with the profs before signing up for classes and meet with your adviser early so they can give you some good advice.</p>

<p>I tried working full time and doing my bio major and it was really rough. I remember I would cry alot because I would work 12 hours and then have to study for 6-7, over and over and over again. It wears on you and can be overwhelming. I also worked nights though so it was hard to work until 3 am and go to class at 9am. I’m not trying to scare you, It can be done but if you can find ways around it I would or drop to part time.</p>

<p>Thanks for the advice everyone. It has made me more confident knowing that other people are going through, or have been through the same situation as mine.</p>