For those of you that work full time and School fulltime

i always hear from people about how it is plausible in our society to get a full-time job, and support yourself through college without getting a student loan.

but when i looked into my life i saw that there were really only a handful of people doing this and the rest of people got help from their parents for college tuition / living expenses. and of those handful of people some of the relied heavily on government support -- things which im not eligible for.

so are there any of you out there that support yourself full-time and go to school full-time?

right now i'm finding myself buried in a full time job. working atleast 40 hours a week, and sometimes up to 70 hours a week. i have a 2 hour commute to/from work. after i travel, work, sleep, and spend time to cook & eat, im finding myself with only a few hours a day realistically. with 1-2 days off a week. seems impossible that i could fit a full time school schedule into that small of a timeframe. maybe i just need a different job that isn't going to cut into my time so heavily? how am i supposed to make this work? how do people work full time jobs and go to school full-time?

 

I go to school , right now i hate to say it and people are going to shame me , but welfare pays for school right now till i find a full time job , been looking for months now

 

seems to me you'd have to do school full time and keep a part time job on top of that.
theres nothing wrong with doing two years of community college then transferring to a school for another two to finish your degree. If you're qualified for financial aid through your local CC then clearly that will help.

I'll be starting school in August for HVAC. It'll only take me two years to get my degree, then I'll be out making money. It all depends on what you're studying for.
But no, it just dosnt seem feasible to work 40+ hours a week as well as going to school full time. Gotta have some compromise in there.

But it sounds like you're making some good money, keep working and save up.

 

yea that's all i can really do right now is save.

even so, i won't really be able to live off a part time job.

grants and such only really pay for tuition. even if i could somehow get my college paid for by random stuff (which i won't be able to do until after getting back in college for another year) i still won't have enough time to go to class unless i can find some way of getting assistance with my living expenses and work a part-time job.

 

sell droggs..

 

I'm working now and as much as i can for the next 6 months, that way when i start university in January i'll have a decent amount of money saved up, then i can start working part time while going to school full time, and hope it just balances out... Plus i'm hoping my parents will pay for the majority of university, i dunno though...

 

i did it. it was completely possible, although i had basically no free time whatsoever. also, i didn't have a 2 hour commute.

i think pretty much anyone can get federal student loans.

 

I can't imagine working my job and going to school full time. I like to enjoy my life

You could always do school part time or take online classes

 

if you like your job and you're making a decent wage, then maybe part time school is a better option for you.

 

^This

It wasn't easy but it was worth it in the long run. I doubt I could have done it if I were driving that far to work though.

 

Maybe you could do online courses like somebody else mentioned earlier? If you have a laptop you could work on your school work during those 2 hour commutes (assuming you aren't the one driving, i don't know why but i just assumed it was by bus or carpool or something) and you could work on your work from the comfort of your own home after working all day... sounds like the best option so far, are online courses cheaper too?

 

I worked with a guy that had 3 part time jobs and attended classes. He worked extra to help support his brothers because his mom wasnt there. He left one of the jobs after about a year and when his brothers turned 18 he left for a school in michigan. Last I heard he didnt make it there and moved back. I dont know how he did it but clearly it can be done.
my cousin has 3 kids and worked and went to school to be a nurse but she had help from her boyfriend. Still it was tough but she got it done.

 

awesome story penisfan13

 

i'm not really interested in getting a student loan and being tied down by debt right after i get out of college. the whole point of gettting a degree is to gain more financial freedom, not to be tied down.

for some reason this actually didn't even come to mind. always though i would have to work partime so i could take fulltime classes.

i might be able to do a few classes. but i feel like if i'm not careful to not take too many my weeks might turn into being fried from exhaustion.

still, taking a year or more to complete 1 semester is slowww.

 

nobody's interested in being in debt, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

 

+1


I quit college and work, cause work don't pay shit, and I can probably make more money doing what I do than with a fancy college degree these days anyways.

Obviously thats not for everyone.. if you're committed, I'd say then just try to deal with the bullshit for 4 years (or however many) and keep your eye on the prize... Easier said than done... Lord knows I couldn't do that..

I have a very different concept of what "reality" is... and it sure as hell doesn't involve going to college and working full time.. that's a little trick of society... convincing people that is the only path... heh, couldn't be further from the truth in my book. I think if the world did a 180 away from the mindset of; go to school, go to work, go to college and get a nice paying job and a fancy car... the world would be a MUCH better place.

Do what you love though, and what makes you happy. WHATEVER that may be... And don't forget to always lift up others and encourage their life

Either way, I wish you nothing but the best brother... may you move ever onward, always toward the light

 

i agree. but after not having a college degree for a while it's becoming pretty obvious that the job market is very closed off to people without a degree.

no matter what you are going to do in life, having a degree to fall back on will be useful. even if someone was going to live off-the-grid it would still be useful to have a degree incase it was needed. who's to say, i need a degree for a fancy car?

a degree is merely a means. the fancy car viewpoint is the problem. maybe it would be simpler if there were no colleges. but it is a reality not a viewpoint that you make more money with a degree.

 

Like I said brother, just follow your dream whatever it is. If you have to devote nearly 100% of your free time for several years, then just buckle down and try your best to deal with the suck.. if that's what you really want in your heart. If you ever need encouragement or just some kind words to pick you up; you know you always have us here on SL


In terms of money, I have a few friends who have a college degree and I'd be willing to bet that I still make more money than the majority of them.. Not that I care, or think of them (or myself) any differently because of it, I'm just sayin.

Obviously, I'm sure the majority of people with a college degree earn more than people with just a high school diploma but it isn't always the case.. I have one friend (really more just an acquaintance) who graduated from the University of Buffalo with some type of pharmacy degree and just got a job making 80k a year starting out... Not too shabby. I don't know if "miserable" is the right word, but he was always stressing about the shit he had to learn for his degree, and how hard and tedious it was.. I dunno if he's really even happy working in the pharmaceutical industry... However, I don't think he followed his dream... he just followed the money.

But the rest of my friends with college degree's are currently employed in low-level work like retail or food service, or other jobs that are unrelated to their degree.. Not to mention in debt big time. In this day and age, even finding a job with a degree can be difficult, unless you major in something that is booming and has a great job outlook.. I feel bad for a few of my friends who followed their dreams, busted ass and did all the work in college and are now stuck working at a pizzeria's and hardware stores, merely trying to survive and pay the bills... Underneath a mountain of debt no less.

I'd say job outlook is key... In this economy, if you have a super technical and specialized degree in something that doesn't really have much practical use to the masses, then you can all but forget about getting a decent paying career.

The key is to just listen. Listen to your heart and your soul, and really hear what they are telling you and go from there.

Best of luck brother

 

Oh I know the feeling I see that all the time as well, truth is, theres not that many of us. Either way, I did it, and, now this is the crazy part, so did my GF, and she is from out of the country HENCE a much higher tuition. Screw fin-aid, just do it yourself you'll be more rounded if you do. You will know hard work, just remember, you only get to do two of the three if you want to do them well, now pick ----> School. Work. Party.