<p>Hi everyone, I know this has been a topic before, but I needed some opinions for my current situation. I'm an incoming freshman, and I'm considering working part-time this fall semester. I'm only concerned because college is a big adjustment - I'll be coming from out-of-state, dorming on campus, and taking 16 credits in a rigorous major (CS - I know 16 isn't that much, but it'll still require a lot of effort). I might also miss out on office hours as the jobs I'm looking at don't offer night or weekend shifts. </p>
<p>I don't necessarily need the money as I have money saved up, but it couldn't hurt getting more work experience and using the job as a way to push myself toward being better with time management. Thanks!</p>
<p>Because you don’t need to the money, have you considered getting a job second semester? It would allow you to settle in, get a baseline feel of what you’re capable of time management wise and then second semester, if you feel comfortable, vamp it up. </p>
<p>My freshman year I didn’t have a job. Didn’t need to money. I had previous work experience along with valuable club involvement. I found that I just had too much time and wanted more structure in my day to day schedule. This year, I will have a job just to have one. I believe I’ll feel a lot better and if it’s too much I can easily pull back on hours or quit. </p>
<p>If you can wait til you see how you handle your school work? I’d recommend that. I’m actually a big proponent of working in school. I think more and more employers actually favor a track record of work in addition to school. Not all, but a lot. </p>
<p>Still, it can be wise to adjust first. </p>
<p>Of course, there’s the old adage, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.”</p>
<p>@Niquii77 Thanks for the response. I’ve considered it, but the classes I’ll be taking won’t lighten up, and I’ll have to take 18 credits next semester. I feel my courseload now is the most manageable it’ll ever be with a work schedule. </p>
<p>@poetgrl This Honors Program I’m in adds an extra 3 credit class to my schedule that doesn’t help in meeting certain requirements to graduate. That’s what I’m thinking as well, thanks for your response! </p>
<p>From what I’ve been told, employers value commitment. Whether that commitment is a part-time job, dedicated volunteer work, or clubs, as for what they value you more…I don’t know!</p>
<p>So if you were to get a job this semester, what would you do next semester?</p>
<p>You’re in the Honors program? I feel you. I’m in engineering, my school’s Honors Program, and I will be working. Although, my credits are more spaced out. I will never reach 18 credit hours. I keep it at a max of 17. Have you considered taking summer courses that would allow you to lessen the course load a bit during the academic year and taking one or two courses in the summer. With that set up you can work fall, spring, and summer. </p>
<p>One suggestion I can make, given the fact that working during school seems impossible, is to get to the career center early in the year and let them know you will need a paid internship during the summer. If you work closely with them, I’m sure they can help make that happen. In CS, you should be able to find something that pays pretty well if you are open.</p>
<p>@Niquii77 I’d just have more time for clubs and organizations and, of course, academics. I’d eventually focus on internships as well as I move up to higher level CS courses. </p>
<p>If you’re just doing it for the work experience, I guess that makes sense. In the time that you’re working you could be getting involved with clubs early on and finding your niche. Then find your internships. The way I see it, if you join a club that develops skills a part-time job would and specialized skills that would be helpful for CS, I think that’d be more beneficial than working as a barista as your campus Starbucks. But then again…you could be working in an area helpful for you…</p>
<p>@Niquii77 Actually there are some openings for students at the office of computers and information technology at my school, so I found that to be geared towards my interests. </p>
<p>But, I definitely agree with your point on finding that niche and developing those specialized skills through ways outside of a part-time job, especially if I end up landing a job similar to being a barista. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t get a job this term unless it was computer related. With any luck you’ll be able to make enough during the summers that once you get summer internships you really won’t have to work during the school year. My son made $25 hour the summer after his freshman year and considerably more the next two summers.</p>
<p>Are you looking at an on-campus or work-study job? Most campus jobs for students are very flexible about hours. (My kids worked all 4 years through college. I don’t think it really impacted on study time. I do think it probably had a significant impact on goofing off, internet chat and party time. Even in very tough majors, the students generally aren’t spending all of their time attending class and studying. In some ways, holding down a job increases self-discipline and improves the ability to manage a schedule and prioritize. It depends on the student, of course - and also the environment that the student is in. )</p>
<p>Don’t work if you can avoid it. Instead taking more classes and making best use of being on campus is better. You can always do the type of job you need only a HS degree for but you can’t replace the college opportunities to do more classes, activities or just plain socialize with your peers. I needed money but thankfully did not need a job the first two years (one time scholarships). </p>
<p>Comp sci is no more rigorous than any other major. It all depends on your aptitude and interest. Some find courses requiring long papers to be difficult while others the problem sets. Taking 18 credits is no big deal for a good (honors) student. Time wise being a Chemistry major can be the most time consuming- I had 2 credit 8 and 9 hours/week Organic labs that needed outside research to be ready for lab time. Math majors have it easy time wise- 1hour for one credit but you have to be able to grasp the abstract concepts… Use your college experience to stretch your mind and get the best education you can. This includes taking courses outside your field or requirements just to learn something you wouldn’t otherwise. Consider things like Art History, Symphony, another foreign language, Lit courses, Philosophy and a whole range of others. In the long run the extra money (presuming you can afford to not work) is not worth skipping the other aspects of college life you can’t do later.</p>
<p>Agree that you may want to wait until you have adjusted to college life (later in the first semester or second semester) and determined how much time you have to add a part time job, if you do not absolutely need the extra money. And if you do not absolutely need the extra money, prioritize the experience value of the type of work when looking for a job.</p>
<p>Obviously, in CS, you can look for paid internships for the summers.</p>
<p>My kids did not work for the first year and some of the colleges don’t charge that $3K or so for student contribution ot tuition, for the first year, exactly for the reason you hinted at: to allow students to adjust during that initial year and better gauge their time commitments.</p>
<p>My son was a CS major and as a freshman, he volunteered to do admissions’ website (or maybe it was paid, I forget). That was quite enough. Later he was a teaching assistant. Summer internships were important and in the CS field those are often fairly well-paid. But they usually start summer between junior and senior years, or between sophomore and junior years, though you may be able to find something.</p>
<p>CS majors have great job prospects. If you have enough money for your expenses, I strongly urge you not to work or even make commitments that are rigid, until you get your feet wet! Think long term versus short term…</p>
<p>S1 earned merit money that turned out to be about 20% of COA for the first year. We were in a position to be able to pay the rest so need wasn’t an issue. After the first quarter he started to work in the computer lab in the main library for about 10-12 hours a week to have some extra money for his music hobby and he did this until he graduated. He had to be there but wasn’t constantly working so he could use some of the time for his reading/homework and the main library, the “main office” for many students, is located in the middle of campus so he wasn’t far from the dorm, his classes, or his friends either. There was also paid tutoring for high school students from a program in his major’s department. By his own admission this schedule translated in to very effective time management as he kept busy in the many hours between classes.</p>
<p>He came home for the summer at the end of the first year and couldn’t find a job. At the end of the second year he did a paid internship at his U and at the end of the third year he kept his job at the library but on a full time schedule Both years he paid for his R&B for the summer from his earnings. He had a job in computer programming not directly linked to his fields of study lined up to start as soon as he graduated. I like to attribute that not only to his skills but his work ethic and experience.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses, everyone. At this point, I decided to focus on acclimating to the college lifestyle first semester and getting involved with clubs and organizations. There are actually quite a few I’m interested in that pertain to my major/desired career path, so that helps. </p>
<p>FYI, I don’t qualify for a work study (one of the posts here asked me that) I’ll see if I can add an on-campus job in my future semesters, but I’m not sure at all as it seems I’ll be taking 18 credits per semester to meet graduation requirements and honors program requirements (I’ll have to speak to my academic advisor on this). </p>