LIFESTYLE:Will Work for Tuition

Students learn to balance academics with employment Escort drops you off from your shift at work. Wearily you collapse into your desk chair and slowly scan an overflowing pile of assorted homework assignments and textbooks that seems to have grown since that afternoon. The light on your answering machine blinks incessantly, as a reminder of the friends and family members you were supposed to call a week ago. Now at three in the morning, that first class starts in just six hours. Your academic and social lives are over. This situation, perhaps a little extreme, reflects the frustration felt by many students at some point or another. Somehow, though, most students usually find a way to do the impossible – completing enough work, having fun, and maintaining some level of sanity. · Students at the University often face challenges. They must already balance hectic academic and social lives with any of the demanding extra-curricular programs in which they are involved. Many, however, also must work to help finance their educations. Added to what they already face, this can seem like a huge burden. "I know people who work and are on athletic teams and I'm impressed," said College freshman Alex Edelman. "It takes away almost all of your free time." But students have learned to handle this added pressure, and many feel that working while at the University has helped them in more than just financial ways. Trae Byrd, a Wharton freshman, works 10 hours a week at the Greenfield Intercultural Center, generally from 7 to 11 p.m. Because his job does not demand much of him while he is at work, he has plenty of time to study. "It helps me to budget my time more wisely," he said. And Byrd's job does not affect his extra-curricular life significantly, either, because his boss is extremely flexible. Byrd said when an activity conflicted with his work schedule, he simply changed his work hours. · Most students who work at school are 'work study' students like Byrd. About 3,000 undergraduates will hold work study positions this year, said Denis Newman, a financial services assistant at the Student Employment Office. Work study is a part of a student's financial aid package and is intended to supply the money for such expenses as books, telephone bills, food on weekends and social life. For freshmen incoming this year, the grant averages $1,575; for seniors the average grant is $2,250. The student can work anywhere from zero to 20 hours each week, until the grant is exhausted. While the time students spend at work could be used on academic work, or dedicated to a new extra-curricular activity, many students say working has had a primarily positive influence on their experiences at the university. "I think it is good since you have to learn to budget your time," explained College freshman Michael Gaugler, who works eight hours a week at the Upper Quad Office. "It's not really a tough job. You can use it for study time and stuff." Holding a job in a place like a library or a study lounge gives some students time to do work they might otherwise be distracted from while studying in their residences. Wharton freshman Patrick Adelsbach, for example, says he does his homework while working at the Spruce Street House Office. Often, work study and non-work study jobs alike allow students to set their own flexible schedules, which lets them work when it is most convenient for them. Beatriz de la Torre, a College freshman, said she can simply "make a different time to study during the day if I have to work at night." · Still, not all students like the idea of risking academic troubles or the loss of social time for a few extra dollars. Wharton freshman Jonathan Ang decided not to work this semester, because he was "trying to balance the extra work load and the transition period between high school and college." He added, however, that he might be ready to look for a job after winter break. Some students voiced concern about the effect a job might have on grades. College freshman Rebecca Fein said "it would put more pressure on a student if one had to balance an extracurricular activity and a job. I'd rather spend the energy from working on my studies." College sophomore Mimi Benach said although the work study program provides a "much-needed service" to students who qualify, she believes that many students without work study positions work more than they should. "Your main job at a university is being a student," she said. "Working is superfluous." Even those with work study say they can feel the pressure added by those few extra hours each week spent away from the books. College sophomore Arpesh Mehta has a job in a laboratory in the Monell Center. "Academically it's a sacrifice," he said. "Some of the time I work would be study time. It can get hectic. But usually during mid-terms or finals the employers let you skip the week." · But although working may take time away from students, it is not always lost time. Some students, for example, have research jobs that are as valuable or more valuable educationally than the time that they spend in the classroom. And, employment can be as rewarding as many of the extra-curricular activities offered at the University, with the social and learning opportunities it provides. Students who can get internships or other employment in research positions are benefited in several ways. While helping them pay for their educations, their jobs also become at integral part of their learning experience. Also, work experience in the "real world" is beneficial when graduates look for jobs that may become careers. Mehta said his job is providing him with an invaluable experience. As a pre-med student, his work study job gives him extensive experience in lab sciences. Not every job teaches students important skills that they will use later in life, but these positions are important for other reasons. Engineering sophomore Joseph Yeh has a non-work study job at Stouffer Dining, which keeps him busy for about 20 hours each week. His job helps him pay for books and 'extra-expenses,' such as his plane-ticket home. Yeh mentioned that his job occasionally keeps him from being able to participate in extra-curricular activities and said it limits the amount of time he has to do "actual school-work." But on the bright side, Yeh pointed out that work has provided him with "an opportunity to meet people," adding that he has met many of his friends while working with them at Stouffer.