<p>I will be starting at CMU this fall term as a freshman. Right now, I'm working as a cashier at a store very close to campus (near the busline). I average 20 hours a week at work. Are there any upperclassmen who had jobs outside campus who would like to share their experiences? Is 20 hours a week do-able, if I plan on studying enough to get good grades? </p>
<p>I am going to plan my courses so that I can be done with classes by 3 or 4, if possible, most days of the week (may have late labs, etc.).</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>It will definitely be a challenge and it depends a lot on your major
A lot of my friends worked only work-study on-campus jobs, such as desk attendants, so they can do their coursework while working. Some did have an off-campus job that was only like 4-6 hours a week, but they quit as it got closer to mid-semester when work got hard and they needed every hour to catch up. My suggestion is probably take the first semester of college easy, and don’t work on the side, so you get used to the work ethic and courseload, and after that depending on how you felt about it, go back to the job, if possible.</p>
<p>P.S. I always wanted to work during college so I can have some pocket cash for movies, group activities and other sorts of fun, but my parents didn’t want me working and always said “your only job in college is to learn and be well”</p>
<p>But it’s always up to you :)</p>
<p>You should see how much your off-campus job pays compared to what you can pick up on campus. I know, when I was there, campus jobs paid pretty well. You can also see about working in a lab for pay. You might be paid the same as where you’ve been, but the experience may be worth changing for.</p>
<p>That said, a number of my friends had jobs outside of school, though probably the most interesting was my friend that was a stripper to help pay her way through school.</p>