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I don't understand why anyone would do that. No I am not talking from privilege stance, my parents had no money to pay for college. But if I had to work full time while studying, I would either extend my study years (graduate in 5+ years, what's the rush I am already working hard) & take up a small loan to make things easier for me. I don't think it is a wise decision to burn candle in both ends.
I mostly held work study job on campus that was flexible & low hours. The max I did was 20hrs/week at retail. It wasn't too bad but towards end of semester I felt it. During my grad school I worked full time but took part time class. My parents didn't have any money to give us. We had Pell grant & scholarship for college. Lived at home and carpooled with other students & packed my lunch from home.
That's my do-over if I could have done so. But I was contracted to make it in four years, so an extension was out of the question. I did it, but the other do-over would have been to reduce fun. College would not have been the blast it was (I went to a certified party school, BTW) but the GPA would have likely echoed my HS GPA.
Does anyone else want to call bull when someone says that? I hear this comment so much and never buy it. Simple mathematics shows that it would be virtually impossible not only to get 40 hours a week in while taking a minimum of 12 credits, but also when would you study? For those of you who say you did it, how did you your schedule look?
I did too. I don't understand why you can't believe this is possible. A bunch of people do it .
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168 hours / week. Minus 12 contact hours for class time = 156 hrs FREE (per week) to fit in the ‘other’ stuff
=93% of your week is your discretionary time.... figure it out!
Besides..... who actually goes to class all of the (12 hr) required time? Hint: not me!
I typically use the ‘contact / class time’ to get a head start on homework.
I seldom took such a light / minimal load while working full time. Usually 15 - 20 hrs.
The Sooner you finish school.... the sooner you can work unlimited overtime, or any of a thousand other things more productive than EDU ‘contact hours’... (I.e. prison time).
I would estimate ‘high achievers’ probably don’t invest much more than 60-70% in ‘contact time’. There is a lot of fluff / time filler in college coursework.
Last edited by StealthRabbit; 12-05-2017 at 09:32 PM..
The first two semesters of college, I worked full time at a grocery store. It wasn't fun and, once I realized that work was cutting into my class time, I quit. It was a really crappy situation.
My daughter did it a few years ago at a brick and mortar college. She worked 40 hours and took a full load of classes at night. She would get the syllabus for each class and plan out her study/paper writing schedule in advance each semester. And no, it wasn't an easy major. She got her masters in Biotech in the normal 4 semesters. Her employer paid for 50% of her degree and she paid the rest from savings and earnings so she has no student debt. It wasn't easy and takes discipline and planning, but it can be done.
Does anyone else want to call bull when someone says that? I hear this comment so much and never buy it. Simple mathematics shows that it would be virtually impossible not only to get 40 hours a week in while taking a minimum of 12 credits, but also when would you study? For those of you who say you did it, how did you your schedule look?
Worked FT M-F. In class all day Sat 8 - 5, plus one night class a week.
So yeah, it can be done.
People can also take 2 night classes and then 2 online classes. It can be done.
Does anyone else want to call bull when someone says that? I hear this comment so much and never buy it. Simple mathematics shows that it would be virtually impossible not only to get 40 hours a week in while taking a minimum of 12 credits, but also when would you study? For those of you who say you did it, how did you your schedule look?
I know a few people who have done it, but most are not telling the whole story. Those I know who did it and graduated usually lived at home, and only needed to pay tuition, not room and board. Some had flexible work schedules and took summers off to attend school full time, and then went part time during the other semesters. It's still no picnic, and most people can't do it, but it's not quite the same as trying to support yourself completely AND go to school full time.
So while it's not impossible, just very difficult, most people are probably exaggerating. Also, I have worked in a college for most of my life, and the most common reason for students not graduating is because they are working too much. They fall asleep in class and have no time to complete assignments. They often can't come up with enough tuition and have to take semesters off and work extra to save up - and then eventually they burn out and give up on a degree. It is not something I would recommend anyone try.
I would also submit, though it's not going to be a popular assertion with some, that completing a brick and mortar program (Or mostly brick and mortar) versus an online (or mostly online) program are two markedly different kettles of fish, when it comes to how they're structured, in regard to this topic. Frequently, online-only or mainly online programs are specifically geared toward students who need to multitask with full-time jobs, etc. It's sometimes the case with brick and mortar programs, but not always. Especially at the undergrad level. More (master's level, at least) graduate programs, even brick and mortar, are geared for working adults, but traditional b&m undergrad programs definitely don't necessarily assume that a large portion of the student body will be employed full-time in addition to being a student.
But online versus non-online definitely can make a difference, in terms of manageability. Some programs are just specifically designed to be more flexible. It's marketing.
Last edited by TabulaRasa; 12-06-2017 at 02:25 PM..
I 100% did it.
I worked a FT job and PT job. Good grades, but not the best I could do. I had to fully support myself while going to school. Mixture of online and in person classes. Many colleges are putting programs together that give people who need that flexibility the chance to go full time.
I still had/have student loans, too. I made too much for any financial aid, even making min wage.
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