Pros:
Working and studying at the same time is perfectly feasible and great benefits are obtained by doing so. Not only because the student earns an extra income, but also because they gain valuable work experience, as well as multitasking skills, organization, and tools to communicate with different levels of staff. These types of skills are difficult to achieve if you only dedicate yourself to studying. It is not impossible, but it is proven that students who work part time gain professional experience in a work environment. This may even influence letters of recommendation and future applications for graduate study . Even if you have restrictions and are only allowed to work on campus, it’s a great opportunity.
When you work at the university, you have the possibility to choose the area that interests you the most. In addition, due to the flexible schedule, it is more favorable than an off-campus job; and in the best cases you can even study while you work (usually in a library).
If the student has the option of working or not during their career, they should know that choosing to work will provide them with excellent skills after graduation.
Contras:
There is always a con for any situation. It can be a challenge for students seeking an intensive degree, as they would feel pressured not only to do well in their studies, but also to obtain more resources that they could use to meet their needs. For foreign students, permission to work only on campus can cause the problem of not being able to accept better paying jobs outside of the university. Although working on campus can guarantee free time during the day to dedicate to studies, it often forces you to occupy the nights, especially during enrollment periods.
Also, international students can only work up to 20 hours a week during class time, which is an obstacle if you need to earn more money. Both on vacation and in the summer, they are allowed to work full time for up to 40 hours a week, but many times those extra weeks are not enough and time off is sacrificed.
Conclusion:
Being able to work while studying is a great benefit, but it comes with a number of personal challenges. The most important thing is to remember that working on campus is an option and can only be considered an opportunity if it can be combined with studies. As always, studies come first.
