"thebigbossyboss" (thebigbossyboss)
08/13/2014 at 11:15 • Filed to: None
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"thebigbossyboss" (thebigbossyboss)
08/13/2014 at 11:15 • Filed to: None | 0
| 21 |
I need your help.
My job wants me to work 20 hours a week while I go back to University. I think I may die if I attempt this. But, it's the only job I got.
Chime in in the comments below about how many hours you work in a week while taking 4 (math) courses.
Many thanks
E type for effort.
Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
> thebigbossyboss
08/13/2014 at 11:18 |
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how many credit hours are you taking?
GhostZ
> thebigbossyboss
08/13/2014 at 11:18 |
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What kind of job is it? If it's a desk job or service job you can probably get away with doing your homework while at work.
Brian Silvestro
> thebigbossyboss
08/13/2014 at 11:18 |
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I worked around 20 hours a week during my first semester. God was it awful.
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thebigbossyboss
> GhostZ
08/13/2014 at 11:19 |
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desk job. My boss sits in the next office, so it'd be pretty hard to do that.
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thebigbossyboss
> Brian Silvestro
08/13/2014 at 11:20 |
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Did you die? I am worried I might die.
Alfalfa
> thebigbossyboss
08/13/2014 at 11:20 |
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I used to work 15-20 hours a week while taking 4-5 classes. Then I switched to working full-time, and taking 2 classes. Granted, they weren't all math classes. It keeps you busy, but it's not terrible if you're single and childless.
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thebigbossyboss
> Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
08/13/2014 at 11:20 |
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4 courses, with 3 tutorials. 16.5 hours total lectures & tutorials.
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Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
> thebigbossyboss
08/13/2014 at 11:22 |
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What is a tutorial? Is that a lab?
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GhostZ
> thebigbossyboss
08/13/2014 at 11:23 |
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What do you do though?
If you're there to do misc. office work and be a receptionist, take the first week or so and do your job awesome . When they need something, get it done within minutes. Prove to them that you don't really need to be there 20 hours a week, and then kindly ask your boss if you can work on homework if you have down time in-between tasks. Most people would ask that on day 1, so by waiting a little bit before asking, you appear far more mature.
Honestly, if they're a decent boss, they'll be totally okay with it as long as it doesn't interfere with what they're asking of you.
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thebigbossyboss
> Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
08/13/2014 at 11:24 |
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For all intents and purposes yes. You go to 3 hours lecture, then you go to a tutorial where you work through some problems together, and then get homework.
twochevrons
> thebigbossyboss
08/13/2014 at 11:24 |
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I'm an undergraduate CS major and have spent the last 2 years working 20+ hours a week as a help desk person (and now sysadmin) for a university department. I'm very lucky in that my workplace is amazingly good to me – I can set my own hours, and have an office to myself right on campus – it makes for a great study space, too.
Last semester, I took three famously brutal CS classes (two of them graduate-level), along with engineering ethics as my less-hard class (which turned out to be fairly tough, anyway). Not math, but close enough, I think.
I can't say that it was easy – I had no social life to speak of, and spent all my weekends doing coursework – but I pulled it off with 3 As and an A-. It's just a matter of priorities, but it worked out for me, and saved me thousands in student loans.
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Brian Silvestro
> thebigbossyboss
08/13/2014 at 11:25 |
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Almost! I had to walk from my job to my dorm room many times in the middle of the night. A 20 minute walk in freezing temps. Not fun at all.
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thebigbossyboss
> GhostZ
08/13/2014 at 11:26 |
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I do research.
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GhostZ
> thebigbossyboss
08/13/2014 at 11:28 |
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Then you better either get much, much better at research, or learn how to do math homework a lot faster.
DrJohannVegas
> thebigbossyboss
08/13/2014 at 11:32 |
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I think it depends on a few things. How much time does commuting add to your total work-hour obligations? 20 hours a week is not awful, but if that is surrounded by 30+minutes each way of travel, that becomes 25+ hours fast. Also, what is the flexibility like in terms of scheduling? Some weeks won't be so bad, but then other weeks, you'll have a ton of assignments/exams and working specific days will be impossible. Can you schedule the classes you need/want around your current schedule?
I've been on both sides of this issue in my (altogether too long) time in the University world. I worked on and off throughout college, and my graduate school time has been paid for through work as an instructor. As an instructor, you want to help out students who have work obligations, but there is only so far you can go. If you know what you are taking, check in with an advisor or the instructors and let them know what your situation is. If you need to work to go to school, folks will understand. (If they don't at least appear empathetic, you can imagine how they will be in other regards. That should be a sign.)
Bottom line: you know how productive you are, how much sleep/free time you need, and what your comfort with work is. If you can pull it off, it sends a great signal to future employers, and may help you build good work habits for the future. If it doesn't, you'll have to cut bait on one side or the other. But, the worst thing which can happen is that you have to give up one or the other (I hope it's the job, but that's your call). Try it out for yourself, you my just be surprised.
Good luck out there!
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thebigbossyboss
> DrJohannVegas
08/13/2014 at 11:37 |
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Thanks Dr. Johann. The commuting is going to be part of the problem. Both the Uni and work is where they is. They ain't moving. Commuting is my biggest concern, first semester my class times *really* screwed me. 11:30-13:00. WHY???
MIATAAAA
> thebigbossyboss
08/13/2014 at 11:41 |
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Let's say it's reasonable to work 80 hours/week on everything. So now work leaves you with 60 hours/week for attending class and doing homework. Let's say you're in class for 20 hours/week. That leaves you 40 hours/week for homework.
That's about what I did for my 2nd and 3rd years in university. It's hard work, but very doable. Good luck! :)
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DrJohannVegas
> thebigbossyboss
08/13/2014 at 11:52 |
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If you do research, see if you can work out something with your boss where you do off-site analysis/work on the days when you have the offending course schedule. I would assume there is some proprietary data aspect to some of the work, which makes off-site difficult, but it's worth a go.
The other thing I'd suggest is that you speak specifically to an academic advisor. They can be helpful on the University side of things with respect to scheduling/cajoling faculty to be more accommodating.
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thebigbossyboss
> DrJohannVegas
08/13/2014 at 11:56 |
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Thanks for the help man. I guess we will find out. If I am really falling behind within the first two weeks of class or so, then I will know it just won't fly, but I think I will give it a shot.
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DrJohannVegas
> thebigbossyboss
08/13/2014 at 11:57 |
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Good plan. Go get 'em.
Where have all the lightweights gone?
> thebigbossyboss
08/13/2014 at 12:00 |
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Is there a chance you can take one of your classes online? That might take a load off of your commuting for one of your classes.