In high school, I had grand ideas of what college would be like, I imagined staying up late with new friends doing things I probably shouldn’t put in this paper, joining clubs and activities, and enjoying newfound independence. As a sophomore in college, I can say college met my expectations in some areas but fell a little short in others. The taste of freedom and independence was exhilarating, I had strict parents growing up so the freedom to party and go out whenever I wanted felt incredible yet it also forced me out of my comfort zone. I had to manage necessities like laundry, cooking, and cleaning fully on my own for the first time.
However nice my newfound independence was, it also meant I had to pay for everything, which meant I had to get a job or two. Trying to balance working a job while attending college full-time can be extremely challenging. Between going to classes, studying, completing assignments, and extracurricular activities, the life of a college student is already busy. Adding 10-20 hours of work on top of that academic workload can make students thin. Finding time for adequate sleep, maintaining a social life, and simply taking care of basic needs like eating suddenly becomes difficult. Often, work obligations end up cutting into study time, which can negatively impact grades. The stress of juggling so many responsibilities with little downtime also takes a toll on mental health which isn’t something I was expecting.
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