University life used to be about late-night studying, hanging out with friends and writing papers hours before they were due. However, this is no longer the case for some students, as many are now getting a taste of the life that awaits them after graduation – a life filled with a hundred different tasks and not enough time to complete them and jobs, of course. 

With costs rising due to the economic woes currently at hand, students across the nation are being forced to work a little more than usual while attempting to manage full-time school schedules and other extra-curricular obligations as well.  Lois Bennett, a junior in meteorology, has been working on campus for the past two years. Her reason for working today is very similar to the one that caused her to get her job in the first place — and simple.   ”I just wanted to get some extra money,” Bennett said.  Once upon a time, issues like these were easily averted by calling Mom and Dad for an advance on that monthly allowance.  However, today this simply is not the case. Even if the parents are willing to bail students out, sometimes they are not able to.   ”I have money set aside for school, but for other things that I want, I have to pay for,” Bennett said.  Each week, Bennett commits to about a 20-hour work week in addition to her traditional course load. However, Bennett said that working and balancing school is not that hard, at least for her.  ”It’s really not bad. They’re really flexible, and they put school first,” Bennett said. “If you have an early class they won’t schedule you for a late shift.”  Bennett is one of many students across the nation who are balancing work and school. According to an American Council on Education study conducted in 2006, more than 78 percent of undergraduate students in the United States work in addition to taking classes as full-time students.   Also revealed in the study was the fact that the average number of hours spent by students at four-year universities at these jobs is 22 hours per week.   Echoing Bennett’s ideas are those of Brandon Lewis, a sophomore in political science.  ”For some people, it can be challenging, trying to manage class,” Lewis said. “But if you have the right type of job, you can manage.”   ”The first year I worked it was really hard. But, now with some good experience, it’s not too bad,” Lewis said.  Carol Schroeder, director of the University Career Center, believes students nowadays have a lot to balance.  ”[Students] who work have to balance going to school, working and also trying to be engaged in the campus community,” Schroeder said. “That can be very difficult if you’re in a very demanding academic subject trying to carry a full load and having all kinds of projects and everything else that goes along with being a college student.”  However, Schroeder thinks these students who work during school often develop leadership qualities that some of their peers miss out on.  ”They learn a lot about dealing with others,” Schroeder said. “It helps them improve their communication skills, and I think it makes them appreciate the value of a college education.”  Schroeder also said while these part-time jobs and work opportunities may serve now mostly as means for obtaining extra money for students, they may end up giving some students a hefty advantage in the marketplace.  ”Very often students will come in to all of the counselors here and the will say ‘I need help with my resume, but I don’t have anything to put on it because I have no relevant work experience, I haven’t done an internship,'” Schroeder said. “Often, that’s not true.”  According to Schroeder, and many of her colleagues, all work experience is relevant. ”If you can communicate with a wide range of people in a fast food restaurant, you probably can communicate with a wide range of people when you’re on your job, and you have managerial responsibilities over a variety of folks with different educational levels, backgrounds, work responsibilities and so on,” Schroeder said.  For students looking for these kinds of opportunities, Schroeder and her office can be especially helpful.  ”Each fall, at the beginning of the semester, we get a flurry of interest from students,” Schroeder said. “N.C. State, unlike some institutions, does not have an office of student employment. So what we try to do is make information about opportunities available.” One way Schroeder’s office does this is through posting job opportunities on the UCC’s Web site and in various handouts they distribute to students.  ”We also recommend to students that they look at the financial aid Web page because there are jobs that are not on campus, but they’re usually within commutable distance of Raleigh,” Schroeder said.  For students in need of money for financial reasons, the University offers a variety of work-study options.  Despite what some believe, there are work options available. It’s simply up to the students to pursue them according to Julie Mallette, director of the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid.  ”In terms of opportunity, we received a federal stimulus on work study funding for students,” Mallette said. How much students are fully utilizing these opportunities, however, remains to be known.