The Career Center’s top five tips to balance school and work

By The Towson University Career Center on August 27, 2017

With the start of a new semester, many students are thinking about how to pay the bills like rent, cell phone, tuition, books, going out with friends, etc. A part-time job is a great way to earn extra money while in college.

In addition to earning income, a part-time job can help you build your resume, develop and strengthen your career-readiness skills, and provide you with opportunities to gain valuable professional experience.

To help students manage a part-time job while taking classes, the Career Center assembled this list of its top five tips to balance work and school:

1. Write a Weekly/Monthly Schedule

Start by reviewing your weekly class schedule. Look for larger blocks of time where you can work at a part-time job whether it’s before/after class, evenings, or weekends. Make sure you block off adequate time for travel to and from your classes and your job. And don’t forget about time for homework, studying, extracurricular activities, and spending time with family/friends.

2. Manage Your Time  

Time management is an essential skill for work, college, and life in general. Prioritize your time by making weekly to-do lists while setting goals and deadlines for projects. You can break larger tasks into small components to help make them more manageable. Having a clear view of your personal goals and objectives can go a long way. Keep in mind most students only work 10-15 hours per week at a part-time job…but this amount varies with each person.

3. Plan Ahead 

Check out the academic calendar to see when you’re going to have midterms and finals. Reference your class syllabi for larger projects and deadlines…adjusting your work schedule well in advance will allow you to build in additional project/study time to maintain your grades and avoid being stressed out.

4. Get Academic Help 

If you need academic help, the TU Academic Achievement Center (AAC) offers students a variety of tools to strengthen overall academic performance by coordinating high quality tutoring, facilitating one-on-one academic coaching sessions, and offering a wide variety of workshops on-time and stress management, note taking and more.

5. Consider an On-Campus Job

There are plenty of job opportunities right here on campus. Benefits include flexible schedules and a variety of opportunities from office assistants to tutors. Plus most on-campus departments understand being a student comes first, not to mention the convenience of a short work commute after a long day of classes.

Learn more about the Towson University Career Center and all its services

Come meet with local and on-campus employers at the Part-Time & On-Campus Job Fair on Tuesday, August 29 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the University Union Potomac Lounge to obtain flexible part-time employment while earning your degree. Bring copies of your resume; dress appropriately – casual but conservative; and come early since the first 100 students receive a free prize. Additionally, on-campus job openings appear year-round in Handshake.

Learn more about the 2017 Part-Time & On-Campus Job Fair

This story is one of several related to President Kim Schatzel's priorities for Towson University: Creating a World-Class, Lifelong Career Center