full time work & school advice

jamesleecoleman

I'm thinking about working and going to school full time. I need money for study abroad and I need to get experience in IT. It's very difficult to get a part time job in IT and these internships (some full time) deadlines suck so bad because some of the application deadlines are in the middle of the summer. I might do this for six months or a year because I need to study in a different country for a possible better job later on.

Does anyone have any advice??

Aldur

I did this for about 2 1/2 years to get my bachelors out of the way. It was brutal, school from 8 am - 2:30 pm and work from 3pm to 11pm. Did that Mon-Thur and just had work on Friday.

It makes it difficult to find time to study or pursue other interests. Large amounts of caffeine helps, but that can lead to other issues. Be prepared to be tired all the time and burnout will become a major factor.

Even though you'll have next to no time I'd still recommend fitting in something you enjoy, even for short intervals at a time.

I'm glad I got my bachelors done so quickly and had 2+ years of exp with that. That allowed me to move on to a very nice paying job with Juniper when I graduated, which in turn is helping on the large sum of student loans that I need to pay back.

Akaricloud

It's definitely possible, I've been doing it for a while. If you're currently receiving financial aid you'll want to be careful though. It's possible to really mess up your financial aid next year and end up not really having much more in your pocket in the long run.

You might want to try to find a job that is ok with you taking time off when things get busy at school. I'm sure as a student you know it happens.

Aldur

Good point Akaricloud. I didn't qualify for any grants, the wife was working full time too, so we made too much money.

It's still no problem to qualify for any federal student loans though.

powerfool

My advice, do it. For IT there is no sense in waiting to start working until you are done with school. I held down a mid-level position and moved into a senior-level engineer position for my day job and I was going to school full-time at a traditional brick-n-mortar school for four years with no summers off. Is that everyone's cup of tea? Definitely not. Is it possible to get it done at a more moderate pace? For most people.

What do you have to lose?

QHalo

Look into taking online classes as well. I've been finishing my degree at DeVry Online and it's helped me keep a full time job and still be able to go to school. There's no way I could work 8 hours a day and then go to school for 4-5 hours a night. I'd have quit a long time ago. I graduate in July and while it's been a long trip to get here, did 1.5 years when I was in my twenties and finished the last 2.5 in my thirties, I'll have 11 years of IT experience and my bachelors done. Going to be an amazing feeling. Don't underestimate online classes. Being able to attend from home makes it an easier process especially since I would have slept through most of those classes.

Akaricloud

Yeah, QHalo makes a good point.

If you can take online classes do it. You'd be surprised how much extra time you get when you don't have the travel time to class and scheduling issues.

I switched to online classes about a year ago and never looked back.

QHalo

Exactly. If I wanted to attend DePaul, for some of my classes, I would have to go to Lincoln Park from work in the loop, hang out for 4 hours and then the 40 minute trip home. Inconvenient is an understatement. Factor in everything when you make your decision. Akaricloud laid out some of the other factors for you to consider. Gas, wear and tear on the car if you have to drive out of your way, etc are all things to think about.

jamesleecoleman

I do plan on taking online classes for next year but they cost a little more plus my school offers seven week classes. I'll be at a regular four year university and I will be done with my first BS degree the fall of 12. I know that I won't have as much time as I did before but I think working will help motivate me with my studies. I don't have any hobbies and all I do is basically study. I just need to work harder so I can get into grad school.

j_griffith

But it will mean he will have less debt to dig out from under!

J.