<p>This may seem kind of silly, but I recently got a new job on campus at my university's writing center, but I don't think I can handle working there this month. I'd like some advice on what to say/how to say something to my director so that I don't offend anyone but that I can keep my sanity. I love my new job and I don't want anyone to dislike me, but I think I'm waaay in over my head here, and I want to fix it. </p>
<p>Before we can actually start consultations and get paid, we need to go through a type of training process. It entails reading up on things, being supervised while tutoring, meeting with a superior to talk about my skills/comforts/concerns/capabilities, and just a lot of focus to get both my skills and confidence ready to go. Once I get "cleared," I told them I could work between 10-12 hours a week. </p>
<p>However, I have an off-campus job by my house that I work at on weekends, and for the month of September, they scheduled me for an additional day each week on either Tuesday or Thursday. This job pays well and I have a lot of responsibility, and with working 25 hours there I just don't think I can handle 10-12 at the writing center AND a 16 credit load of advanced writing and French. (I'm also a perfectionist who drowns herself in studying and getting everything right, so I know that drags me down even more) </p>
<p>Would it be unreasonable to email my director and ask if I can start tutoring at the writing center in October when I'm back to only working weekends? I could probably still get my training done in September but just wouldn't be on the schedule for students to choose until October. Is there also any certain way I should word this? </p>
<p>Thanks, and I'm sorry if this is lame. I'm just really stressed out and I've never had to juggle so much before. I miss being a carefree freshman.</p>
<p>And BTW - I posted a thread about not wanting to go away to college, but now that I'm here, I'm doing great! My roommate moved out because she got an RA position, so I have a double room to myself at the moment, which I feel has especially helped me adjust well. Now I want to add content with my jobs and classes to my achievements for the beginning of this year. :)</p>
<p>Wait - you are working around 35 hours per week and taking a full load of classes (I assume 16 credits is a full load at your college). That is crazy… You really should not work ANY job more than 20 hours/week. You probably are in over your head, but just cutting back on the writing center may not be enough… Do you get paid for the writing center job? Because that is nice to have on your resume (my D1 had it from her college, and it was definitely a good thing). Could you cut back the off campus job instead (can you afford to and will they be willing to)? You really should look for a way to get all your working hours (total) down to around 20/week if possible.</p>
<p>I’m working 25 hours at my off-campus job, and the writing center would add another 10. Come October, I’ll be working 15 hours at my off-campus job and hopefully around 10 at the writing center. I WOULD cut back at the off-campus job, but they schedule monthly and I’m in a position where I’m the only one available to do my certain job when I’m scheduled. (other people are also in school and one is on vacation all month)</p>
<p>Yes, but what is stopping them from scheduling you again for 25 in the future? You are in school, too… you need to stand up for yourself. </p>
<p>I guess I would go see the writing center director in person and discuss this. Because they are also counting on their employees to be available, too. See if you can get them to let you wait until October. But then you also need to tell your other employer that this is the last month you can work more than 15 hours. And stick to it.</p>
<p>Oh, and I will get paid at the writing center after I complete my training, but it’s a pay cut from my other job. But I know it looks great on r</p>
<p>I disagree with intparent on restricting yourself to less than 20 hours/week (unless, of course, you have to sacrifice your sanity to maintain the workload, and you don’t NEED to work that many hours =D). I regularly worked >30 hours as an undergraduate with a >16 unit courseload. There is nothing inherently wrong with that amount of hours, and it just depends on what courses you’re taking, what other commitments you have, and what you’re willing to sacrifice (though I highly recommend that you don’t sacrifice your sleep or sanity =D).</p>
<p>It sounds like you’re very tuned in to what you can and cannot handle, which is fantastic. That’s the key to handling a lot of different things at the same time. I would recommend that you talk to your boss in person if you would be able to do your training during September and then start scheduling your tutoring hours during October. It’s not a completely unreasonable request, and it doesn’t hurt to ask, as long as you are polite and professional. Many on campus workplaces who hire a lot of students are pretty understanding about giving some flexibility with regards to hours and work schedules, since they understand that you are a student first. If they aren’t able to do that, then perhaps you could try to find another tutor (or assemblage of tutors) who are willing to pick up a few more hours to cover for the time that you would have otherwise given. You never know until you ask.</p>
<p>That being said, if you do feel like you’re being taken advantage of in your off campus job and you don’t want the extra hours, then there’s nothing wrong with advocating for yourself at that job as well. Perhaps, you could make it clear that you aren’t available to work more than your usual 15 hours because you’re a student, but you’d be willing to train another employee to be able to do your job so that they can have more flexibility with scheduling.</p>
<p>I think this is a very common issue for many student jobs right at the start of school. My d is in a similar position with her two jobs. She just gave notice to the first job this week as the new and better second job is taking up too much of her time. I think just go and talk to the writing center and be up front about your issue. I would be very suprised if they wouldn’t accomodate your request to start in October. In fact, they may prefer it since they may have several new students starting in September that they need to train. If there are any group training sessions, I would try to make those, but otherwise it sounds like most of it is self study and individual training.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t recommend students working for more than 15 hours per week. Your job is to do well in school and everything else is secondary. Make a decision as to which job is more important to you. BTW- I think you should get paid for training.</p>
<p>What is your top priority?
Making money?
Going to school?
??</p>
<p>Maybe you need to make money to afford school. Then perhaps you need to cut down on the number of classes you take.</p>
<p>Maybe finishing school is the more important.</p>
<p>Either way, bosses have a job to get done and don’t care tooo much about your situation. Your out side of school job boss has a job that needs to be done. Right now you are the only one that can do it, but I assure you if you quit someone would be trained quickly.</p>
<p>You have to prioritize your life and then act accordingly.</p>
<p>I know that I really have been dumped with too many hours for a student, but I’m afraid that if I complain I’ll lose my job, which would be detrimental right now… </p>
<p>My to priority is school, but as I’ve posted in other threads, money is really tight in my family right now. My mom’s hours got cut, her truck is aging, her health is precarious, and I know that I need to help out so we can get by. I’m also saving for a semester</p>
<p>I know that I really have been dumped with too many hours for a student, but I’m afraid that if I complain I’ll lose my job, which would be detrimental right now… </p>
<p>My to priority is school, but as I’ve posted in other threads, money is really tight in my family right now. My mom’s hours got cut, her truck is aging, her health is precarious, and I know that I need to help out so we can get by. I’m also saving for a semester abroad, but I realize that may have to take a back seat in light of my family’s situation. </p>
<p>Basically, my priorities are to do everything well.</p>
<p>OP, I sympathize with your situation and your concern for your mother is creditable. But if it’s true that school is your priority, it should be like a full time job. It has to come first. You can’t make enough money anyway in your current situation to really make your mother financially secure. Therefore, it would be shortsighted for you to put short-term earnings above long-term opportunity. If you can still do well in school while working over 30 hours a week, honestly I suspect your college either must not be a very rigorous institution, or you are not taking advantage of the academic challenges that you should be.</p>
<p>When I did tutoring at college with training and supervision I got paid and got credit for a full class. It was one of the best experiences of my life and has affected me for decades in some of the things I now do.</p>
<p>I would try to cut the off campus job down to weekends NOW rather than later. You can make up some of the lost income with the tutoring. Your boss should be able to find someone else. Is is a situation where you are afraid of being fired if you don’t do every hour requested?</p>
<p>It’s definitely not easy, but I’ve been able to cope. I don’t go to a notoriously rigorous school, but in my area, it’s known to be able to crank down the hammer with certain majors, including mine. I know I can’t keep this up forever. </p>
<p>I talked to my boss today (off-campus job) and I proposed that I can still work the weekday shift but that maybe they can find other help for either Saturday or Sunday. They have family that helps out on weekends, so they’d be able to have someone qualified/trained to do what I do. It was hard for me to approach him and ask, but I did it! </p>
<p>He said he’d let me know by Tuesday. If this goes through, I’ll be working 16 hours there (2 8 hour shifts) and then whatever the writing center has in store for me (maybe 10 hours or so?) </p>
<p>Is 27 still too much? I’ve been managing so far, but I’m really, really tired. I’d imagine it’ll get worse towards the middle of the semester, but I don’t know what else to do. </p>
<p>Thanks again for all the help. I’m really trying to apply it.</p>
<p>It’s great that you were able to come up with a creative modification of the off campus job, that is more possible for your boss.</p>
<p>I will tell you one thing. With my kids, I sometimes stress long term earnings over short term. That does assume enough money to eat, of course. But it is possible that the tutoring and school classes are a priority financially, if you think of the longer term.</p>
<p>Based on my own experience, and your future career interests, I would preserve the tutoring at all costs, even if that means cutting down even more on the off campus job. I know that may be difficult with your financial responsibilties.</p>
<p>Think of it this way: if you can do well in school and enjoy the tutoring, you may end up, say, teaching at a higher rate of pay than you are making at your off campus job, so that if you do the math for total earnings over a 6 year period, you might even come out ahead if you DON’T work off campus.</p>
<p>Just a thought, though I understand you have some immediate needs.</p>
<p>Your most important job is being a college student. This is a full time job. If you are paying the same price for 12 to 18 credits don’t short yourself with a light load so you can work more hours. </p>
<p>Never sacrifice time you could use to take more classes or spend more time learning the material. Plus a social life. There is plenty of time to earn a living- and at better hourly wages with a degree. You can never replace this time in your life. This is from a scholarship/food service/dollar (now it would be 10?) in her pocket/medical school loans physician.</p>
<p>Be sure to live your life for the present as well as your future. Allot time for pleasure as well as work, classes and study. Oops- that’s backwards- work is last on the priority list. You will benefit much more from that extra course in something than any work. You need food and shelter, not fancy clothes.</p>