Many students of hospitality decide to work while they study for their bachelor’s degree. Working provides benefits to the student. These can include much-needed extra income, work experience and professional connections. When working students graduate, they will have good resumes with both excellent education and work experience. Also, they will be able to apply what they learn to their jobs. This will help them learn hospitality concepts as they study.
However, there are certain challenges to working and studying at the same time. These tips can help you manage those challenges to improve your chance of success.
1. Don’t Forget About a Work Permit
You can gain important experience by studying and working in another country. For example, you can learn about different cultures, build language skills and gain work skills through increased job opportunities. If you are an international student studying abroad, you will need a work permit to hold a job. Make sure you follow the proper guidelines to work in the area where you are studying.
2. Remember Your Priority
It is important to remember that your studies should remain your number one priority. Keeping up with your studies and maintaining a high quality of schoolwork is essential. Completing your degree is your main goal, so a job needs to work around that. It is best to choose a part-time, temporary or flexible job position that can fit around your school hours.
3. Study Before Work Shifts
It is important to set yourself up for success instead of failure. If you leave your schoolwork for after a work shift, it is likely you will be too tired to complete it. Also, it will be hard to motivate yourself to do schoolwork and to focus on it after a long work shift. It is good to take care of yourself and allow yourself to relax after working a shift. If you put off the work, thinking about it will cause stress.
Recognize these things to set yourself up for success. Do not put off studies until after work. Instead, complete them before a work shift when you have the energy and focus. This will also help you do your best on your studies. Further, you will better focus on your job during your shift. You will have less worry during and after your work shift knowing that you already finished your schoolwork.
4. Schedule Your Time Well
By committing to both school and work, you may take on too much. It can be easy to think you can do everything and then run out of time for some of it. Do not commit too much time to work and not leave enough time for school. Remember that school should be the priority.
Most importantly, do not underestimate how much time you will need to do your schoolwork. Think about everything that is involved with school and how much time each will take. For example, time allotted for school can include:
- The time needed for classes
- Study time
- Time to work on assignments and edit them
- Travel time to and from classes
- Time to relax after class
- Meetings with teachers
- School-related activities
Use this information to create an effective schedule that plans out school and work commitments. Make sure you plan enough time for school. If you are a full time student, do not underestimate how much time that involves. Plan that school will take up most of your time. Also, schedule in healthy time for yourself and social time.
Once you know how much time you need to devote to school and other activities, you can figure out how much extra time you can put toward a job. To be safe, choose to overestimate the amount of time school will take. Do not forget to prioritize your degree above your job.
5. Take Time for Your Health
Keep in mind that health is an important factor for your success. You will not keep going at your best long-term if you do not take care of yourself. If you spend all of your time studying and working, you might run yourself down. This type of lifestyle can cause stress and sacrifice your health and well-being. To prevent that, remember to take care of yourself. Schedule time in for healthy activities if it will help you. These are some tips to help you focus on your health while going to school and working:
- Do not over commit by filling your entire schedule with school and work obligations
- Make time for exercise and fresh air
- Take time for mental breaks from school and work
- Do not study late into the night; follow a healthy sleep schedule and always make time for sleep
- Eat healthy foods
- Do not neglect healthcare visits
6. Make Time for Friends
Socializing is an important part of the student experience. You should not only focus on gaining your bachelor’s degree without making any friends or having fun. These are some reasons why university socializing is important:
- Friends and social experiences can help shape who you are and give you memories
- Fun and friendship are important parts of a balanced life
- Friends can improve your health and wellness
- Other students can provide support for dealing with challenges you are going through together
- Meeting other people can help you build your professional network
As you schedule time for health, also put socializing time into your schedule.
7. Find a Flexible Job
It may seem difficult to work while making school a priority, and to avoid over committing yourself. But finding a job with flexible hours is a good way to be successful with the balance of school and work. Temporary jobs can be a good option because shifts can be on nights and weekends. This schedule helps you work around school hours. Flexible jobs allow you to choose the number of hours you work. You can cut your hours during busy school times, such as exam time. The downside is that you will not have steady shifts or income, but many students do well with flexibility.
Do you need assistance with finding a flexible job? Coople is a platform that can help. It can match you with a temporary or permanent position that fits your specific skills. It provides convenient jobs around CH and it gives the choice of jobs that fit your specialty. For example, you could choose between gastronomy, retail or event staffing options. You could work in roles such as kitchen staff, reception or events. Some roles will require proof of certain skills. The Coople platform is available in different languages to fit the needs of international students. It is available in En, De, Fr, and jobs near the Passugg campus may require German.
If you are interested in flexible jobs through Coople, go to the platform to complete your Coople profile.
