Everyday Hassles of Working Student - Essay Example

Everyday Hassles For many college two trends stand out over the past quarter century. One, the academic demands have increased. Two, the numbers of students with families who also work full-time jobs in addition to taking classes full-time have increased as well. The question is often raised whether or not the advantages of juggling highly stressful full-time activities outweigh the disadvantages. Any one of these responsibilities is demanding and stressful. Some suggest that attempting to accomplish all concurrently will inevitably lead to one or all being neglected to varying degrees. For example, when the parent concentrates their time performing well at work and school, the children suffer. They lose quality time with the parent therefore will not be as academically or socially prepared as would children whose parent(s) who do not have such a demanding schedule. Online classes are somewhat less time consuming but only because there is less travel involved and the parent is at home to take care of emergencies. However, the same dilemma still exists. This discussion examines the life challenges of working students with children then presents solutions to this seemingly impossible undertaking. If proper steps are taken to manage time and reduce stress levels, contrary to popular opinion, all of these enormous responsibilities can be accomplished without one or all enduring detrimental consequences. Raising children is difficult, ask any parent. Kids demand constant attention until they are school-aged but that often is the easiest time. Upon entering school, there is homework that must be checked, awkward social situations that must be solved and separation anxiety that must be overcome, by both parent and child. Them there are the teenage years, enough said. School is difficult. Mountains of homework require the honing of self-discipline skills and every teacher seemingly believes that their class is the student’s only concern. Attempting to absorb new fields of study, especially the ones you really don’t care about, is burdensome. Sitting at your desk at home while you imagine the rest of the world is playing is taxing. One has to constantly remind oneself of the far-off goal that seems light years away. Working is difficult. Domineering, heartless bosses, quotas, schedules, rules, pressures of dealing with the public, all make for a stressful situation. The combination of school, children and work is a daunting proposition and you can’t quit any of them. Quitting school is the only option of the three but you can’t bear the thought because if you do, you will be stuck in that same old job for the rest of your life. You must persevere while holding down the crummy job so the children won’t have to live under a bridge while staying in school so you can provide for their future. On the weekdays, the alarm goes off at 6:00 am, get breakfast for the kids and ship them off to daycare/school then at work by 8:00. After work, pick up the kids; make dinner then its time for school three days per week. The other two evenings and weekends are for catch-up items, homework, cleaning, laundry, kid’s functions, lawn chores, etc, etc, etc. The only time for relaxation is bedtime, which is frequently shorter than the recommended 8 hours. With such a hectic schedule, sleep becomes the only oasis in a sea of constant activity. The question remains, can all three responsibilities be accomplished without allowing one or all to become neglected? The answer is yes but the task involves reducing stress. One can be overwhelmed by stress and that, not the busy schedule will be the downfall of all your glorious plans. A person can handle a busy life, many have and presently do but it’s the overcoming of stress that will help ensure success. There are many methods for the working student/parent to reduce the amount of stress they are experiencing due to the lack of time in which to successfully accomplish these tasks, the first of which is to become knowledgeable of services and persons on campus that are responsible for helping students. However, for students who attend online classes, there are seldom such services available. For these students, there are methods of self-help working students can utilize such as investing in and using a planner. “A planner is the perfect way to avoid stress in college. A planner is so important because it helps you to remember all the assignments you need to do. This is especially important if an instructor assigns a project that won’t be due for a few months” (Brantley, 2007). With a planner, school, work assignments and children’s activities can be broken down into smaller, more manageable segments. The day’s assignments seem doable, which is a decided psychological advantage. Otherwise, the three responsibilities can seem to all be crashing in at once causing stress levels to continually rise. As in everyone’s life, unforeseen obstacles thwart the best of plans, the car breaks down, a child becomes ill, a storm interrupts internet access, etc. A planner can be used to reconfigure the week’s duties accordingly which relieves some tension. It’s hard to fall asleep when shouldering the weight of multiple responsibilities. Knowing that the next day and week is planned allows a person to relax enough to get to sleep on schedule. Allowing sufficient time for sleep is essential for the reduction of stress for working student/parents. Eight full hours of sleep with a goal of getting to bed by midnight is generally recommended. “This may seem far-fetched, but it is important to get enough sleep if you want to avoid stress. Getting enough sleep will ensure that you have the energy to complete assignments” (Brantley, 2007). Avoiding non-essential distractions is a key element in maintaining a schedule. The inability to say no to friends and relatives as well as yourself takes away precious time that cannot be reclaimed. The temptation to leave the stresses of studying or work for a while is easy to justify but the end result of dodging immediate responsibilities will lead to much greater levels of stress in the long-term which generally comes sooner than later. Prioritizing is the key. The planner, if faithfully adhered to, can be an enormous help in deciding what needs to be done and when. It can also be referred to and used as an excuse to peers, family and yourself when the situation warrants. On the other hand, time must be allocated to free oneself from the pressures of work and school. Schedule time for socializing and relaxation in the planner if necessary because it is important in avoiding excessive levels of stress, which ultimately, is counterproductive. “To avoid stress, you must schedule free time for yourself. This means that there must be a time of the day where you can just kick back and watch TV or listen to music. If you spend all of your time doing assignments and working, you will quickly become stressed and irritable” (Brantley, 2007). A good solution to time management is to plan to finish projects early. As a parent, this free time will likely be spent with the children. This allocation of time enriches the lives of all concerned and alleviates the guilt that is inevitable when a parent must work and attend school. The combination of work, school and children is unquestionably stressful. However, the rewards are worth this temporary circumstance. It is important to remember that it is temporary, no matter how unending it may seem. All three are worthwhile endeavors and worth the effort. Works Cited Brantley, Amy. “Tips to Help You Avoid Stress in College.” Associated Content. (2007). October 5, 2007 Read More