I recognized the importance of working a part-time job at an early age; many lessons that apply in our everyday adult lives are ones I’ve learned from my many jobs. I learned how to perfect my time-management abilities, with having to balance work and school all the way back in my high school days. Through self-reflection, I’ve come to realize that I’m not the type of person who likes to sit still; putting too much on my plate motivates me to do better through the pressure I put on myself. Over time, I have grown to understand that I like being able to have my own source of income and not rely on anybody else for anything I may need. Essentially, having a job—as a student—has become a central part of my lifestyle.
When I first came to Berkeley, I immediately started searching for a part-time job because I didn’t want to have too much free time on my hands. I applied to many different places without fully knowing what my life here would look like—I had no method of transportation, location, or flexibility within hours. However, I was lucky enough to land a job that has worked out perfectly with fitting into my busy schedule here, and I now have a good idea of how to balance my job with my college student lifestyle. Based on what I’ve learned from working in Berkeley, here are some tips on how to balance your work, school, and life schedule to maximize your time here at Berkeley.
First of all, everybody knows how critical having good time management is in college, but most people don’t know how to actually go about managing their time. With having a busy schedule full of different extracurricular activities, the most helpful thing I’ve learned is how to time block and use my Google calendar/paper planner religiously.
When I’m trying to plan out my schedule, the first thing I write down are all my class times. If you want to be proactive with having an efficient schedule, it’s best to try to pick a class schedule that isn’t too spread out throughout the day. I usually like to schedule my classes in the morning and have two to three back to back everyday so that it only takes a small chunk out of my day. Although this is easier said than done—with Berkeley scheduling and enrollment being difficult and different for everyone—keeping this strategy in mind may help create at least some room in your schedule.
After I write out my classes, I include all my club meetings/practices. Once I see the mandatory events I have to attend written out in a planner, I can see what blocks of time I have available. It’s also important to keep some free time to yourself to do homework or socialize with friends! I decide on what times I want to keep to myself and submit a work availability schedule to my job based on all these times. By time blocking, I’m able to effectively balance school, clubs, social time, and work.
Second, location and transportation to your job is important to keep in mind. If you’re currently looking for a job, it’s not practical to search for a location that’s far from campus. When you work somewhere farther from campus/where you live, you have to account for transportation time and/or cost when creating a schedule. It’s also important to remember that transportation in college is a lot harder than anywhere else—it consumes more energy and is less efficient overall. When I was first looking for jobs at the beginning of freshman year, I thought a 30 minute commute/bus ride would be feasible because, back home, I drove ~ 30 minutes everyday to work and school. I didn’t realize that public transportation is much harder to come by, and having a car/Ubering everywhere isn’t cost effective. When using public transportation, like the bus, you have to account for delays outside of your control, getting to the bus stop on time, and also having to wait for the bus. Overall, it isn’t very predictable and can create a lot of stress, so a closer, walkable location is ideal for a college job.
Lastly, knowing the workplace culture where you want to work/are already working is important to maintaining good mental health. College is already a stressful place, and being in a workplace alone can add more stress and affect your well-being. It’s important to prioritize your mental health, especially because constantly being stressed out by your job can begin to affect other areas of your life, such as your schoolwork or your relationships. You want to make sure that you can be happy in whatever job you choose; you want to want to go to work and not look at it as another task on your to-do list. It’s also important to consider workplace culture, because being in a good environment increases your chance of being there long-term. Getting yourself into a situation that makes you unhappy will ultimately be a waste of time. There will always be other options besides letting yourself be stuck somewhere that makes you unhappy.
It’s completely understandable that many students, especially here at UC Berkeley, simply can’t find enough time in their day to worry about anything other than school, let alone work a job. Many people also have other ways they enjoy spending their free time and don’t need to supplement their income. It’s important to prioritize school while also making the most out of your college days and spending your time in a way that you can appreciate. This is my advice for those who are looking for or already are working a part-time job as a full-time student, and there is by no means any pressure to find a job.