Working 40hr/week. Planning On Community College. Should I Get a 2nd Job?

[Spectrum Abuser]

To keep a simple story short I moved out with a friend awhile back into a nice one bedroom apartment and we divided the space evenly. We're both 18 and out of High School working practically full time at a local fast food restaurant, but not in management positions. Under our current income we can afford the cost of living and still have a little extra on the side for savings and spending money. Here's where the unknown comes into play. Obviously neither one of us wants to be in the fast food industry indefinitely. We plan on taking some community college classes while working, but that's not exactly affordable unless we plan on taking one class a semester.

Here's my question. Is it doable to work say 60hr/week, through two part-time jobs, and still have enough time to enroll in a local college and work on an associates degree? Has anyone here been through that and can provide their experience and insight on the idea?

 

[MICHAELSD]

Everybody I know that moved out that young regrets not staying home and saving the money. You'd have a lot saved up in four years when you're done with college if it's feasible to move back home. I applaud you for trying but if it doesn't make financial sense then it's better to be back home where you get your own bedroom.

 

[ucfgrad93]

Everybody I know that moved out that young regrets not staying home and saving the money. You'd have a lot saved up in four years when you're done with college if it's feasible to move back home. I applaud you for trying but if it doesn't make financial sense then it's better to be back home where you get your own bedroom.

Agreed. It would be better to move back home while you are in school, OP.

 

[kupkakez]

As someone that worked full-time and went to school full time and managed to pull good grades, no it's not possible. You are not going to be able to work 60 hours and go to school and study and make good grades. If you are okay with skating by on C's, maybe and if you want to take 1 class a semester and take 20 years to finish the degree.

I also worked fast food for a couple of years while I was in college, which was definitely not enough to pay for school and living costs. Why not look into taking out Stafford Loans just for what you NEED to pay for the classes? Once you complete your degree (as long as it's something useful and will lead to a job prospect, not an Art degree ) you'll be making some more money and can make your loan payments.

You have to also remember that you are not only going to have to work two job schedules but you are going to have to find a time to work a class schedule in there.

 

[Spectrum Abuser]

I'd just like to clarify. We're fine as far as the cost of living goes, which includes the rent/utility/auto insurance/vehicle maintenance/groceries/misc. The budget doesn't start to frown until you try to factor in tuition costs. I plan on getting an applied science associates degree in a management field and go full time from there.

 

[kupkakez]

I'd just like to clarify. We're fine as far as the cost of living goes, which includes the rent/utility/auto insurance/vehicle maintenance/groceries/misc. The budget doesn't start to frown until you try to factor in tuition costs. I plan on getting an applied science associates degree in a management field and go full time from there.

Have you filled out your FAFSA yet? You'll definitely want to do that and get it in before the March 15th priority deadline. You may qualify for some grants that you can use towards your schooling and you'll have to fill it out of you'd like to receive Stafford Loans.

edit: You'll have to be accepted into your community college prior to filling this out. I just went back to your OP and see you are just considering at this point.

 

[Spectrum Abuser]

Have you filled out your FAFSA yet? You'll definitely want to do that and get it in before the March 15th priority deadline. You may qualify for some grants that you can use towards your schooling and you'll have to fill it out of you'd like to receive Stafford Loans.

edit: You'll have to be accepted into your community college prior to filling this out. I just went back to your OP and see you are just considering at this point.

I see. Thanks for the information.

 

[puma1552]

Have you filled out your FAFSA yet? You'll definitely want to do that and get it in before the March 15th priority deadline. You may qualify for some grants that you can use towards your schooling and you'll have to fill it out of you'd like to receive Stafford Loans.

edit: You'll have to be accepted into your community college prior to filling this out. I just went back to your OP and see you are just considering at this point.

Agreed, just take student loans. If you are on your own on minimum wage, you're about to rake in a lot of financial aid grants and loans.

 

[mobilehaathi]

Adding more mind numbing work will not be conducive to focusing on your schoolwork. I suspect that the community college has a financial aid office that you should drop by to get some advice on what you might expect in terms of aid. It is probably worth talking to them!

 

[Macky-Mac]

.......You are not going to be able to work 60 hours and go to school and study and make good grades...

worth repeating

 

[ElectronGuru]

Another option is using the CC to get enough trains for a better temporary job that gives you better pay so you can work fewer hours so you can study more. See if the school has a training /apprenticeship / occupation center that has such options.

 

[VI™]

Have you filled out your FAFSA yet? You'll definitely want to do that and get it in before the March 15th priority deadline. You may qualify for some grants that you can use towards your schooling and you'll have to fill it out of you'd like to receive Stafford Loans.

edit: You'll have to be accepted into your community college prior to filling this out. I just went back to your OP and see you are just considering at this point.

You can fill out a FAFSA without being accepted to a school. Just go to the website.

 

[Zombie Acorn]

I've been working 40 and taking one graduate course per term and I'm still wondering how the hell I used to make time working and going to school full time. Maybe its because I'm older or because I'm married now, but 60 hours + school would not be something I would try.

 

[VI™]

I've been working 40 and taking one graduate course per term and I'm still wondering how the hell I used to make time working and going to school full time. Maybe its because I'm older or because I'm married now, but 60 hours + school would not be something I would try.

I just started back persuing a double major (with not a lot of different classes between the two, Network Engineering and Cyber Security) and I'm taking 3 classes and working 6AM-2:30PM M-F. That may change in the future depending on the difficulty of the classes, but right now I'm only taking Algebra, Speech, and a networking class.

 

[Tomorrow]

I plan on getting an applied science associates degree in a management field and go full time from there.

Does such a thing exist? An AAS degree is typically a "tech" degree, not management.

I worked 40 hours a week and took 9 credits a semester. It was absolutely brutal. I can't imagine working 60 hours and taking 15 or more.

 

[AppleFanatic10]

Don't do it, you'll sorely regret it. Like everyone said, fill out the FAFSA if you're under 24, you'll have to put your parent's income information in there but you should still get something regardless. Also, I don't know what state you're in but in California we get a BOG Fee wavier that pays for our classes in CC. If you like in California I would highly suggest you fill out the application for that also. The only thing you would have to pay for is your books, and you can get those pretty cheap.

 

[GoCubsGo]

Don't do it, you'll sorely regret it. Like everyone said, fill out the FAFSA if you're under 24, you'll have to put your parent's income information in there but you should still get something regardless. Also, I don't know what state you're in but in California we get a BOG Fee wavier that pays for our classes in CC. If you like in California I would highly suggest you fill out the application for that also. The only thing you would have to pay for is your books, and you can get those pretty cheap.

Oh I don't know…heading advice given 6 months after the fact seems like a logical step to me. My hope is that he didn't wait all this time for advice to roll on in and actually took the step to do something that gets him out of a one-bedroom that he shares with a buddy while he flips burgers.

 

[AppleFanatic10]

Oh I don't know…heading advice given 6 months after the fact seems like a logical step to me. My hope is that he didn't wait all this time for advice to roll on in and actually took the step to do something that gets him out of a one-bedroom that he shares with a buddy while he flips burgers.

Ok, so what was your reason for responding to give that smartass remark??

 

[roadbloc]

Personally I'd say 40 hours a week and college was overdoing it already if you expect to get decent grades. But you US folk seem to have a different attitude to work than myself and if you really don't mind burning the candle at both ends and you think you can cope without a social life or a moment to yourself then go head and take the plunge head first.

----------

Ok, so what was your reason for responding to give that smartass remark??

Because she's a smartass. Or so her signature claims.

 

[GoCubsGo]

Ok, so what was your reason for responding to give that smartass remark??

It isn't really a smartass remark. You made the mistake, not me. I simply said that my hope was that he didn't wait all this time for advice to roll on in. That is hardly a smartass remark. You're embarrassed and thus, your reaction is going to be defensive. Relax, it will all be okay. We've all responded to old threads not knowing and nothing happened.

Personally I'd say 40 hours a week and college was overdoing it already if you expect to get decent grades. But you US folk seem to have a different attitude to work than myself and if you really don't mind burning the candle at both ends and you think you can cope without a social life or a moment to yourself then go head and take the plunge head first.

----------



Because she's a smartass. Or so her signature claims.

/shrug True but my response was hardly that but at least you're here to point out what I am. Thank goodness! Since smartass remarks are very tough to spot, I will give you a hint…that was a smartass remark. My response to the other guy was not.

 

[AppleFanatic10]

It isn't really a smartass remark. You made the mistake, not me. I simply said that my hope was that he didn't wait all this time for advice to roll on in. That is hardly a smartass remark. You're embarrassed and thus, your reaction is going to be defensive. Relax, it will all be okay. We've all responded to old threads not knowing and nothing happened.





/shrug True but my response was hardly that but at least you're here to point out what I am. Thank goodness! Since smartass remarks are very tough to spot, I will give you a hint…that was a smartass remark. My response to the other guy was not.

I have no reason to be embarrassed. Yes, I replied to a thread that was a few months old, so what. Like you said people do it all the time, most people don't care and don't have anything to say about it. You're the one who made the big fuss about it. And I was assuming the OP was from the US and most schools don't start in the middle of January, so he/she could have possibly been waiting until this coming Fall, so I was just giving my advice just in case.

 

[GoCubsGo]

Don't be so dramatic. No one is making a big fuss about anything, other than the fact that I replied at all. Just relax and try to have a really good day.

 

[roadbloc]

/shrug True but my response was hardly that but at least you're here to point out what I am. Thank goodness! Since smartass remarks are very tough to spot, I will give you a hint…that was a smartass remark. My response to the other guy was not.

If I'm honest I didn't even read your post.

 

[63dot]

A few things:

1) take your time, it's not a race
2) live with parents, at least for community college and save on at least those two years
3) look into FAFSA

That being said there's always the story of kid who had two jobs and did full load at school, or young mother who raised a child or two, worked, and did school but those people who pull off college in four years are rare.

I had a classmate who chipped away at school in a moderately hard business accounting degree and finished, while working, by his mid-20s. There wasn't anything extraordinary about him other than his working full time and doing night school meant getting less sleep for six or seven years. He took a couple classes a semester, but sometimes three and did summer school.

But what was odd was that he pulled off a 36 unit MBA in 12 months while working. The school suggests no more than two graduate level classes a semester while working 30 or more hours a week.

But he took all available brick and mortar classes that he could get into, and then added an online class for good measure. The first 15 week semester saw 4 classes that took 12 hours in class plus an extra 24-36 hours of reading/writing as is typical in grad school. Two week break, then another 12 units and 4 classes. Two week break and the final 4 classes. He got by on less than four hours sleep for 12 months straight. He would get up early, get into his banker's three piece suit, commute, work, eat on road on way to school, go to class still in suit, finish class at 9:30 PM, eat, pull off homework, sleep a few hours, and repeat. Weekends were for catching up in work, school, and sleep. He had no hobbies except work and school. I really respected the guy and never once saw him in anything other than his three piece suit in two years.

I don't know what made him veer from his do-able routine he had of two undergrad classes while working into four grad classes while working. Remember if you are taking an undergrad class and putting in two additional hours for homework for each hour in class, a grad class will have you three+ hours for every classroom hour. Maybe he was sick of school and wanted to get done already as the MBA was his long-range goal. Anyway, he was done with his MBA well before age 30.

 

[TheBeastman13]

As someone who is finally finishing his associate from a community college, I recommend putting yourself in a living situation that allows you to save more, work slightly less than or equal to 45/hrs while being a working student.

I made the mistake of putting work before school to accommodate my living expenses of a car, rent, etc. I turned a two-year degree into five and a half years by taking semesters off to solely work and save up, or half-time semesters(three classes) to put in 40+hrs/week to skate by on funding school and living expenses while allowing for studies and personal time with friends to cool off from all the work.

I feel that if you don't allot yourself the time for friends and family, to experience your growing up stage, you end up missing out in life and may become stagnant by way of being an autonomous working machine while life passes you by. That was me these last few years and I wouldn't wish that on another. Too many times have I passed up on "once in a blue moon" opportunities because "sorry, I have to work fourteen hours tomorrow, and have an exam to study for by monday; i will be too tired to see you at night."

You have to weigh your abilities and objectives. Can you handle five classes, two jobs, and the responsibilities associated, while maintaining a healthy, non-work related lifestyle?

At the end of the day, it's what you can handle, and not what others can handle for you, that'll dictate how you should live.