Challenges of working students

-- Mike Earle

You sit down at the computer ready to get started on that big essay due next week. The room is well lit, your notes are all in order and everything is set for some serious homework time.

Then chaos erupts.

The children are screaming about who stole whose toy, the dog is barking and everyone is demanding your immediate attention.

These are the top three reasons found by an informal survey conducted Oct. 1–7 with Metropolitan State University students as to why students get distracted:

Family
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone—family life was number one on the list of distractions that students deal with. "I lock myself up in a room," said one student. "Then the family knows its homework time."

Work
Creating time for work and school was the second biggest issue for students. "Working full-time is a big distraction from my schoolwork," said student Julie Kline. "When I get home, I dread working on schoolwork."

Whether they work full-time or part-time, it’s hard for students to fit homework in while trying to support themselves or a family. Some students even cut into sleep time to gain a few more hours for homework. Yet, students who go with this strategy said their grades suffer.

A full-time job is something many students must deal with. Others take advantage of down time at work to get some studying done. "I take personal care attendant jobs so I can do homework at work," said one student.

Friends
The third biggest distraction for students was friends. Time is precious for students, and many said they find themselves at home working on assignments while their friends are going out.

One student said she has to shut off the phone when it’s time to study or friends will constantly be calling. This requires extraordinary self-discipline. You must learn to say "no" to your friends - a working student cannot go out every night.

Try to set one day or night a week to unwind with your friends. This helps to ease the stress of life as a working student.

If you struggle with these problems, here are some helpful tips for dealing with them:

• Thumbs up for down time. Down time at work, such as lunch breaks can be a great way to catch up on reading.
• Dinner and a movie. Schedule a family event night so you can spend time with the kids without eating up all your study time.
• Peace and quiet.Take your assignments to an isolated room and shut off the phone so you aren’t distracted.
• Drinks on you.Treating your friends to a night out can go a long way towards keeping them at bay the rest of the week.
• Technology rules.
  Use emails and phone calls instead of live meetings for those group assignments to cut out wasted travel time.
• Calendars are your friends.
  Planning out all of your deadlines is the key to success as a working student.