So, you're a full-time student, part-time intern, part-time cashier, occasional Uber driver, dog-walker and full-time busy individual. I get it. It's challenging, I know not everything gets handed to you so easily. In this day and age, with college being as expensive as it is, you're doing everything you can to stay ahead of the game. Here are some things you likely have experienced as a struggling, multi-job college student.
Even when you don't want to, you learn to say "no." I'm not able to go out every weekend or go to every date party I am asked to because I simply can't afford to take the time off of work or don't have the money to do what my friends want to do. When people invite you to events, there will be times when you simply can't make it because of a work or extracurricular commitment. Sometimes there will be events you can attend but are just too expensive or time-consuming to be a feasible option for you. By no means should you completely sacrifice your time to dedicate to work (thus making yourself miserable), but there is a line between responsibility and fun.
After you learn to say no, people still won't understand why you need to say "no." Sorry, I can't order those concert tickets. Your friends might bother you about that decision, and whether or not you're open to explanation is an individual matter. Your money decisions are very particular and will be hard to explain to people who may not face these same challenges as you.
You're no finance major, but budgets are your forte. Learning how to manage my money is one of the biggest skills I have learned in college. While it is tough having to pay for everything myself, I have gained incredible amounts of financial awareness and responsibility that will be critical to my life post-grad. Being able to make payments on time and save money long-term for big expenses are things I am proud to be able to do.
You will learn all of the websites, apps and nearby locations that will let you be thrifty on your budget. With so many fantastic apps available on Smartphones, countless applications are available (Poshmark, Etsy, even Craigslist) that help you search for anything from clothes to cars while staying within budget.
Managing your time comes with ease. With two part-time jobs, 21 credits' worth of courses, a part-time internship and extracurriculars, you could say I learned how to manage my time rapidly. This is a skill I am so glad I have because it allows me to get done, what I need done, in the time period it needs to be done by. Thanks to constantly having to use my time to its fullest extent, this actually helps me ensure my assignments are always ready on time. This has been beneficial because while I do have a lot on my plate at times, I have gained awesome stress management skills and have learned to appreciate free time so much more.
Learning to be financially responsible and independent is not always an easy task. Working in college, whether it's one part-time job or a few, is never an easy thing to balance. But knowing you're working toward your own independence is a great feeling, especially as you're about to step into the real world as an adult.
