So in my new college confidential class, we were talking about balance and schedule. Basically if you have to go to attend college, have a job, but also want personal time (free time) which do you choose if you can only have 2/3? You can have sleep and work time but you’d sacrifice your personal life, if you have sleep and free time, then you wouldn’t have time to do school work. If you choose school work and personal time, then you would be sacrificing sleep. This is like the NASA paradox. I’d personally choose work time and personal/free time because I am use to being sleep deprived, was all throughout high school. And not having any time on my own would just be depressing if you are working 24/7. But what is the best choice in your eyes?
NOTE: I’m new so sorry if I post this in the wrong section. Never mind my name either, I was in a depressed state when I made this account so it doesn’t mean anything.
Well, first of all I think this is a false choice. You can certainly work, keep good grades, get enough sleep and also have a good social life. There are people who do this every day. The solution is
Work a reasonable amount of time. Most college students who attend college full-time can probably handle about 10-15 hours of work per week. If you’re working more than 20 hours a week, things get rough. You shouldn’t be working 24/7. That means you aren’t managing your time well.
Sleep a reasonable amount and practice good sleep hygiene. Go to bed and wake up the same time every day; don’t take a 2-hour nap in the middle of the day (it disrupts your sleep cycle); don’t pull all-nighters on a consistent basis.
Balance your social life. Hanging out with friends often is good and healthy, but if you’re partying 3-4 nights out of every week and taking long breaks in the middle of the day to chill, maybe you’re socializing too much.
Also, as a side note, as you get older being sleep-deprived gets harder and harder. Your body just doesn’t bounce back the way it used to. When I was in high school and college, I could run on 4-5 hours of sleep if necessary. Once I got into graduate school (I’d say around age 22-23) I started more heavily feeling the effects of being sleep-deprived, and by the time I was 25…ugh, I just couldn’t function without proper sleep. Now my body just automatically starts falling asleep around 11 pm, lol.
School should be priority #1. Doing well in school will set you up for a successful future. Sleep is probably #2, it helps you school wise. Working is the lowest priority here, it’s more important to focus on school in the long run. Part time is plenty.
I’m just a freshman (in engineering though), so I haven’t had to handle any super tough classes yet, but I’v been able to manage a part time job, varsity sport, and 16 credit hours all while getting more sleep than I did in high school and making great friends. I’m sure it’ll get harder as I progress through college, but I haven’t had to sacrifice any of my wants or needs yet.
Basically, I agree with @julliet . It’s all about balance and prioritizing.
If you decide to work in college, keep in mind it may cut into your social life. This is okay as long as you still have a good sleep schedule. Don’t let your peers look down on you for being employed, or your coworkers resent you for going to college. It may be difficult to find a balance if you don’t have any other friends in the same shoes, so try to match style. College isn’t supposed to be a test of your limits, its supposed to be a means to improve yourself.
Remember that the responsibility rests first on your shoulders, and if it becomes too heavy you always have parents you can turn too. They are probably your most valuable resource.
I would highly recommend the book by Cal Newport: “How To Become a Straight-A Student:
The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less”
It will help you with time management and how to be more efficient.