Working while in college/university?

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

I worked full time (about 50 hours a week), married with a home while I went to college. I took one class a quarter and went during the summer. Nine LONG years later I graduated with an engineering degree. I had to re-study a lot of what I learned because my classes were sooo spread apart. It took me 9 years to get that degree and I could have never ever taken more than one class at a time.

I wasn't exactly a gifted student and I had to study a lot. That said, my DS can grasp technical concepts quickly and they stick with him. He can crank out an impressive English paper fast, etc. So my broader point is some students can handle more workload than others.

[introv78]

All three of my degrees were obtained while working full time, all are in sciences, and all are from regionally accredited state colleges/universities.

I didn't start college until my mid twenties and attended while working full time in a factory and raising a family. With that being said I landed a great job after my first degree that has several hours of downtime a day (IT) so I finished a large portion of my last two degrees during the day while I was working. Did I mention I love my job and employer

[SubconsciousMe]

I think it depends on the person so much. I had a F/T job and was enrolled in 22 credits (that's not a typo). But I'm a master at balancing things out. But my friends thought I was crazy. Maybe I was.

But a social life isn't the utmost important things in my life. I'm a little older than your average student so I've had time to go to bars, etc.

Unfortunately, there isn't an easy "yes" or "no" answer to this.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by SkylightMike231

Hello everyone, first time making a thread in this part of City Data. I would like to ask this question with those with experience in doing this sort of thing:

Is it possible to have a job(s) and attend classes, presumably 9-12 credits (like science courses) in a semester? Do you have time for other things (like relationships, hobbies, etc), or is it a really stressful thing?

I've been trying to get a job to help pay for my tuition, but all of my attempts have been futile. So I wonder if people with full-time jobs are still able to take enough credits and still have study time.

I'd like to hear from people who have done this and would either recommend it or not and find some other sort of alternative (grants, scholarships, or loans(!)).
Thank you in advance.

I managed to work a full-time job my first two years of college and then worked 20-24 hours weekly after that. It was really hard. But I'm glad I did that rather than walk off stage with my diploma and $50,000 in debt. When it comes to either having a busy social life during college or not having debt after college, I can tell you which one is the one I'd choose.

I think the key is making smart decisions and never biting off more than you can chew. My sophomore year, I became more savvy about finding grants and scholarships, which allowed me to scale back on work. I also found that I made more money waiting tables part time than I did working a full-time gig at the newspaper.

At the same time, you should try to accumulate work experience during your college career that's pertinent to your goals. While I only did it two years, my newspaper experience got me my first job.