I am an art major. During high school, I received college credit for almost all the core classes I need, except for one math and one natural science. As a result, I only need to take 13 credit hours this year, one of those being a natural science. So, I’m only taking one core class this year and the rest are classes that I need for my major. Now, these classes do require a lot of work outside of class, and knowing me and how detailed and intricate I like to make my art pieces, I know I will definitely have to take some stuff home.
I wanted to know how getting a job, in my situation would compare to what I am used to;
In high school, like I said before, I took a couple of rigorous classes. I received a total of 28 credits. Although these were high school classes, they were taught by college certified teachers, at the college level. I don’t doubt teachers would go easy on us at times, unlike a real college professor would have, so I suspect those were slightly easier than actual college courses.
I was also in 3 clubs, raking up roughly and average of 3-4 hours a week.
Aside from this, I was also volunteering at an elementary school, equaling to about 3 hour s a week.
I also had a part time job selling phones, roughly 15-20 hours a week.
And of course, I had to make time to do homework and from time to time, work on commissioned paintings, together roughly 10 hours a week.
And whatever time was left over was recreational.
So, in college I don’t think I will be joining any clubs. I will not be doing honors/advanced anything. And I will be taking 13 credit hours each semester for my freshman year. I expect to have around 10 hours of homework/projects a week, as I did in high school, unless I’m underestimating.
So, taking these into account, would getting a job (I’m thinking phone sales again) make it that much harder than what I put myself through in college? And based on your experience, how many hours do you recommend working? Also, should I work on days that I have classes, after/before class, or should I only work on the days I don’t have any classes at all, like weekends?
Thanks in advance!
You have 28 credits from HS, but I don’t think that means you need to take only 13 credit hours this year.
What it means is that you have to get probably 120 credits to graduate, and you already have 28 done.
Also, to be full time, you have to take at least 12 credits per semester.
I would suggest other options:
Take 15 credits each semester freshman year if the classes you have to take are not too advanced. This is normal.
Use the credits you have to not have to take multiple higher level classes at once when you are a senior.
or Be able to have time to do research or more studio time or an internship.
Or you can take 12 credits every semester and still graduate in 4 years.
Or sign up for 15 credits and be able to withdraw from a class if necessary.
Did not realize, anyone had replied haha.
Anyway, yes, I am taking close to the minimum to be a full time student. You said the minimum is 12, well I’m taking 13 per semester this year. I didn’t note specifically “per semester” in my original post; I thought it would be implied.
Anyway, I did try to get more credits this year, and I talked to my school about it. The problem is that I’m already taking that science, so the only other thing I can really take, is math, and when I asked them, they said I wouldn’t be able to take it until next year because they are reserving those math classes for upper class students who need to take them.i will try to see if I can talk them into giving me more credits this year, because I’m the type of person who likes to do all the work as early as possible so I don’t have to worry about it later. I’m tired of my schedule being overloaded, but I don’t want it to be underloaded, as it is now, either.
But my original question was, as I’m not experienced at college life, if i get a job, how many hours should I work? Is it possible to work after or before class? Or should I just stick to weekends?
My son works 10-15 hours a week, but when I was in school I worked full-time and had a full course load. It depends on how much work you have and how much you need the money. Do you need to graduate in 4 years or can your parents afford an additional year? Chart out a rough 8 semester plan to see how many courses you need to take each semester to graduate of on time. You might discover that not all of your credits will count, so plan your schedule first then add work around it. If you don’t need a lot of money, start with 10 hours/week and adjust up or down from there.
Working during college is a great idea. Look at your college’s web site for student jobs, especially if there are any jobs in areas related to a potential future career. You may get better contacts/references from staff/profs for future jobs. Not all jobs are reserved for work study. Most of these jobs are during the week, but some can flex. Good luck.