For many Northern Essex Community College students, the end of a work shift does not mean the end of the workday.
Balancing work and college can leave students with less time to study, complete assignments and attend classes, a challenge experienced by NECC students who work while pursuing their education.
Douglas Haubert, a professor at NECC, said working while attending college is common among his students.
“At a community college like NECC, that’s the norm rather than the exception,” Haubert said.
For students like Sophia Griffin, an NECC student who works about 15 hours a week, a job can take away more time than just the hours she spends working. She often needs time to recover before returning to her schoolwork.
“It ends up being a little while before I’m ready to jump back into schoolwork, so it eats up the time, not only in the hours of the job, but also outside of it as well,” Griffin said.
NECC student Sharon Donovan works about 26 hours a week and said finding time for homework is one of her biggest challenges.
She tries to complete most of her homework on saturdays, when she has more time for schoolwork.
Haubert said one of the biggest challenges for students who work is finding enough time for school. Work schedules can affect class attendance and make it difficult to attend office hours.
Students may also come to class tired after working late the night before, Haubert said. However, Haubert does not see working as completelynegative. He said working students can bring discipline and real-world experiences to their classes.
“It changes what they can give to a course more than it simply diminishes it,” Haubert said.
Working can also help students who are learning English. Haubert said using English at work gives students experience that can be difficult to get in a classroom.
Students have their own ways of managing their schedules. Griffin uses a calendar to organize her work and school responsibilities. Even with a calendar, she said she can still forget smaller tasks.
Griffin said students should also be careful about taking on too many responsibilities outside of work and school.
“Don’t take on excess additional responsibilities outside of that if you can,”Griffin said.
Haubert said communication with professors can also help working students keep up with their classes.