Student balances work and school

College students face a great deal of expenses like books, tuition, parking passes and other simple necessities. In order to keep up on expenses, there is always the opportunity of working parttime while being a full-time student. However is it possible to work 15-plus hours and still have descent grades in school?
Deanne Wallace, a 7th-semester and double major in political science and German studies, is a full-time student who works an average 20 hours a week while being in the Honors Program at UConn.

“I have really learned to prioritize my work and I don’t mess around since I need to focus,” Wallace said. “I studied abroad in Germany last semester and learned better work ethics there.”
Wallace continued to say that the German work ethics are about taking pride in your academics.

Wallace was at the Student Union Marketplace, where she prepares and serves food, along with other tasks. Mondays and Wednesdays, Wallace works about seven hours and splits up her work shifts. By doing so, Wallace gets a break in between shifts so she can catch a meal and attend her classes. Marie begins her first shift at 8:15 a.m. and then goes to class. Later in the day, she will go to her second shift at 8:15 p.m. until close at 12:00 a.m. By 1:50 a.m., Wallace finally goes to bed.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays she has classes that begin at 9:30 a.m. and continue past 3:30 p.m. But later in the day, she still has time to teach an English class to people learning it as a second language from 6 to 8 p.m.

Despite teaching a class on the side, she is also currently writing her senior thesis through an independent study. This requires her to meet with her adviser once a week for 20 to 30 minutes to discuss the thesis.

“Usually on weekends I pick up shifts that are left over, especially on late nights so the hours are sporadic,” Wallace said. “Making money has allowed me to focus better on my studies since I am planning on applying to grad school in Germany.”
Wallace is planning on going to Germany during winter intersession and needs to save up for airfare, as well as for other trip expenses for the trip. In the past, she worked only 12 hours a week, but with growing expenses and grad school in the future, Marie said she has really buckled down and concentrated on her studies.

Wallace does schedule in down time, which she said is very important to have in her schedule. This typically includes watching TV, napping, surfing the Internet and grabbing dinner with friends.

“I’m a really good planner now and I have a lot lists,” she said. “I’m not terribly happy [with the workload] but it has made me take more pride in my work and even enjoy the academic work.”
Wallace said she hopes to continue working on her thesis next semester and create an easier school work load. In the long run, her main goal is attending grad school in Germany, even if it means long days and late nights.