Working full time & Studying part-time, your thoughts. (1 Viewer)

[InsoulvencyReaper]

Hi all,

Initially with the intention of doing a gap year, I got a job at an accounting firm. I'm starting on-the-job training in a certificate III business administration. My manager also suggested that I start university this year and to do it part-time (work paying).

Considering the energy that will be needed mental processes at work and then extra energy and time for university and assessments for the training course, do you think it's a wise move?

For me, I think towards the future, since I'll be highly competitive in the job market. I'll have by the end of my degree at least 6 years experience and degree's behind me. Far more competitive than a person coming out of uni with merely a degree behind them.



Any thoughts?

 

[Shadowdude]

I'm going to say straight out, from my (selfish) perspective: it's a bad idea... for your (uni) social life.


I have a few friends who have gotten internships and now work full time, with a part-time uni load. I never see them, pretty much. We have to go out of our way to catch up. I went to dinner with a few of them a few weeks ago, and I realised I hadn't seen one of them since like... November, and that was running into each other by fluke.

I find for my friends who have work that they are very, very busy and their social life really really suffers (although some of them make new friends at work, I know of others who cbf basically). Now some of them are quiet types and so it doesn't affect them too much, but it's annoying when we all try to organise stuff and work gets in the way.


You'll find that when you are at full time work, your weeknights are either for rest, or for little bits of uniwork - and even on a part time load, there is still work to be done, and my friends who work full time get through it reasonably enough, but they do the work on weekends, so I can only see them if I stay back or if they skip class to see me or other scenarios like that during uni days.


Personally, I wouldn't do it - I like my friends, and hanging out with them and stuff is time I really cherish considering that soon they'll be graduating and good luck finding out time to catch up then <_<

 

[InsoulvencyReaper]

I'm going to say straight out, from my (selfish) perspective: it's a bad idea... for your (uni) social life.

That is very true. I must mention that I'm not a very sociable person anyway, and I'm very selfish when it comes to wanting to achieve goals. Hahaha.

My social life has suffered all through high school as well because often I would concentrate in classes, do school work in between and recess/lunch I was always hanging out with my teachers. So now, working full-time, I actually enjoy solitude.

As for my friends, I could never hang out with them, as I was busy with school work, working at night and going to church on weekends. You my friend are lucky you have gotten to your friends at all.

Also, one thing I should mention, is that working is the only way I'm going to be able to go to university as they'll be paying for it. I'm an NZ citizen, ineligible for HECS-HELP and so I thought I'd grab every opportunity I can get with both hands.

Thanks for your opinion.

 

[tashe]

I have a few friends who have gotten internships and now work full time, with a part-time uni load. I never see them, pretty much. We have to go out of our way to catch up. I went to dinner with a few of them a few weeks ago, and I realised I hadn't seen one of them since like... November, and that was running into each other by fluke.

Reading Shadowdude's post reminds me of:

 

[Shadowdude]

That is very true. I must mention that I'm not a very sociable person anyway, and I'm very selfish when it comes to wanting to achieve goals. Hahaha.

My social life has suffered all through high school as well because often I would concentrate in classes, do school work in between and recess/lunch I was always hanging out with my teachers. So now, working full-time, I actually enjoy solitude.

As for my friends, I could never hang out with them, as I was busy with school work, working at night and going to church on weekends. You my friend are lucky you have gotten to your friends at all.

Also, one thing I should mention, is that working is the only way I'm going to be able to go to university as they'll be paying for it. I'm an NZ citizen, ineligible for HECS-HELP and so I thought I'd grab every opportunity I can get with both hands.

Thanks for your opinion.

No problem.

If you have to work to come to uni, then... well, that's non-negotiable then. You sound a lot like one of my friends actually... she's extremely busy, and the last time we properly got to catch up was October, and since then it's been two random sightings.

I'll say this though: Uni changes people. You meet a lot of people, very quickly - and it's just a melting pot of personalities.

I have a friend, he used to be very quiet at school... and then he got a girlfriend. And now... he's doing all sorts of crazy stuff, even had to rescue him from a drug-fuelled stupor once. That was fun.

Reading Shadowdude's post reminds me of:

IT'S TRUE. IT'S ALL TRUE

 

[InsoulvencyReaper]

No problem.

If you have to work to come to uni, then... well, that's non-negotiable then. You sound a lot like one of my friends actually... she's extremely busy, and the last time we properly got to catch up was October, and since then it's been two random sightings.

I'll say this though: Uni changes people. You meet a lot of people, very quickly - and it's just a melting pot of personalities.

I have a friend, he used to be very quiet at school... and then he got a girlfriend. And now... he's doing all sorts of crazy stuff, even had to rescue him from a drug-fuelled stupor once. That was fun.

Yeah... I just wanted opinions, so that I could mentally prepare myself for the road ahead.

To be honest, I was quite lucky coming across the opportunity I did. All that SEEK searching for junior jobs paid off. I mean... I went to over ten interviews during the HSC period just to ensure I had a job post-HSC. This was at the time I first intended to take a gap year. My intention was to save to go uni, but since my manager offered, it was an offer I could not refuse.

That video, damn. All my friends, on our group FB chat all scramble to find a day to hang out. I mean, we've been trying ever since the HSC period ended and have since failed to catch up. I haven't seen them since the end of october...