The majority of students today find that a combination of working and borrowing is the best way to gain experience, finance college, and complete their educational goals on time. Paid employment while you are in college has benefits beyond the money you can earn. Having a job in a field related to your major can help you develop a credential for graduate school and make you more employable later because it shows that you have the capability to manage several priorities at the same time. Working while you are in college can help you determine whether a particular career is what you will really want after you complete your education. And students who work a moderate amount (fifteen to twenty hours per week) typically get better grades than students who do not work at all.

On the other hand, it’s almost impossible to get great grades if you work full time while also trying to be a full-time student. Some students prefer not to take a job during their first year in college while they’re making adjustments to a new academic environment. You might find that you’re able to work some terms but not others, as family obligations or challenging classes can sometimes make the added burden of work impractical or impossible.

Part-time off-campus jobs that relate to your major or career plan are hard to come by. You’ll likely find that most part-time employment has little or no connection to your career objectives. A better option may be to seek a job on campus. Students who work on campus develop relationships with instructors and staff members who can help them make plans for the future and negotiate the academic and social sides of campus life. While off-campus employers are often unwilling to allow their student employees time off for study and exam preparation, college employers will want you to put your studies and exam preparation first. The downside to on-campus employment is that you’ll likely earn less than you would in an off-campus job, but if success in college is your top priority, the upside of working on campus outweighs the downside.