Having a Work-Life Balance in College
One of the most important things for any working person to have is a healthy work-life balance. Not many people think about the importance of a work-life balance for college students.
Most of the students I know also have a job on top of their courses. Most of these students are mentally and physically exhausted because they do not get a break from work or school. These busy schedules leave little time for any "life."
For example, let's say a student works 25 hours per week. They are enrolled in six classes. Each class is an hour long. This means the student is unavailable for at least 31 hours per week. On top of just going to class and work, they also have assignments and coursework. Let's say each course requires at least two hours of preparation before each class. This means that there's another 30 hours (if there is three classes per day) of work being put in just to be able to keep up and succeed in the courses. In total, that's 61 hours of work. The typical "full-time" job is only 40 hours per week. That is 21 hours of work more than a typical full-time job.
With a full-time job, a work-life balance is cherished. For a student, even having a life outside of class and work is valuable. This proves the need each student has for "getting a break." Having a break in the everyday coursework and job cycle is crucial for students. It helps reduce stress, gives them a mental break, and allows them to feel free for just a moment. As a student who works 20-25 hours per week, is planning a wedding, is starting a job, and is graduating all within the next 10 weeks, I know having a break is crucial. If you are reading this and are a student that can relate, I strongly suggest making time for a break. Even if you have to schedule your break, give it to yourself. You deserve it.
Most of the students I know also have a job on top of their courses. Most of these students are mentally and physically exhausted because they do not get a break from work or school. These busy schedules leave little time for any "life."
For example, let's say a student works 25 hours per week. They are enrolled in six classes. Each class is an hour long. This means the student is unavailable for at least 31 hours per week. On top of just going to class and work, they also have assignments and coursework. Let's say each course requires at least two hours of preparation before each class. This means that there's another 30 hours (if there is three classes per day) of work being put in just to be able to keep up and succeed in the courses. In total, that's 61 hours of work. The typical "full-time" job is only 40 hours per week. That is 21 hours of work more than a typical full-time job.
With a full-time job, a work-life balance is cherished. For a student, even having a life outside of class and work is valuable. This proves the need each student has for "getting a break." Having a break in the everyday coursework and job cycle is crucial for students. It helps reduce stress, gives them a mental break, and allows them to feel free for just a moment. As a student who works 20-25 hours per week, is planning a wedding, is starting a job, and is graduating all within the next 10 weeks, I know having a break is crucial. If you are reading this and are a student that can relate, I strongly suggest making time for a break. Even if you have to schedule your break, give it to yourself. You deserve it.
I agree completely! I think balancing work and school can be super challenging sometimes. It's super easy to get buried underneath it all and not spend any time on yourself!
ReplyDeleteBalancing everything in life is such a complicated game. It is so hard not to drown in all the different commitments each day. I agree that everyone needs a break once in a while.
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