There’s Nothing Part-Time About My Schedule

Posted February 21, 2014 by Emily Boyd

As of this semester I’m officially a part-time student, doesn’t that sound nice? It implies that I have tons of extra time when I’m not doing schoolwork. The same applies when I mention my part-time job, sounds like I’ve got all the free time in the world. The picture quickly changes when I start doing the math: one part-time job of about 25 hours a week and another of 10 or more hours and I’m quickly at 35 hours! Add in two classes, one in person and one online, a weekly commute to Boston and all these part-times are suddenly adding up.

You thought being a full-time student was hard? Try being a part-time student. At first this seems like an oxymoron, how would taking fewer classes be more demanding? I’d never thought about this until I became one of the part-timers, and six weeks in I’m finding it incredibly challenging. It’s no wonder, just look at my schedule! When you’re a full-time student, school is your primary focus, this is no longer the case when you’re part-time.

There are a lot of benefits to working while being in this program, such as drawing on work experience when thinking about assignments or participating in class. Seeing how my classes connect to real world scenarios has helped me focus and made me take the time to fully understand course material. There are also challenges that come along with my schedule. My time management skills have improved exponentially, procrastination is no longer an option. In the past I’ve always been a student with a job on the side, now I remind myself that school needs to remain a priority for these last few months of school, even as my jobs become more demanding.

All that said, I think the fact that I want to focus more on work than school is a sign that I’m moving in the right direction and I’m ready to really start my career. I’ve been in school for basically my whole life, and I can’t wait to be done with homework! Until the day comes when I’m done with GSLIS, I’m looking at you August 2nd, I need to keep focused and learn as much as possible from my last few classes.