Double Duty

Many college students struggle to find a balance between school and work

By Courtney Roque

Lori Biser, a full-time Fresno State student, typically works 70 hours a week at her three part-time jobs.

“My mom is not financially able to help me in any kind of way,” the 22-year-old sociology major said. The money Biser makes goes to pay for her rent, car payment and insurance, cell phone bill, food and other living expenses.

But Biser still says “it’s never enough. Never.”

Biser is not alone. She is one of many college students in the United States who has learned to balance school and work responsibilities.

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, at least 86 percent of college students work at some point during their college careers.

“Our office receives over 5,000 part-time positions each year, whether they are mailed in, called in or posted on the job Web site,” said Aleta Wolfe of Career Services at Fresno State. “There is a big demand for students to work.”

Jobs appear to be in demand by students, as well. Bulldogjobs.com is the latest Web site created by Career Services in response to local employers’ need for student employees and students’ requests for part-time jobs in the greater Fresno area.

Lisa Walker has owned her own daycare center in Clovis for 12 years and has found several employees by calling Fresno State or by advertising on the campus Web site.

“I’ve always been pleased with the students I’ve hired, and I plan to find all my future employees at Fresno State,” Walker said. “There always seems to be a need for part-time jobs for college students.”
Timothy Hamel, a faculty member with the department of kinesiology at Fresno State, advises students to keep their ultimate goal in mind, especially when they sacrifice coming to class for jobs where they earn $8 an hour. He often comes in contact with students who let part-time or temporary jobs interfere with their education.

“The number one thing to remember if you’re concerned about finances is to take a vow of poverty and accept that you’re going to be poor but also accept that you’re learning how to survive,” Hamel said.
While some do have jobs just to earn spending money, for many students at Fresno State, work is a necessity.

For Biser, on a typical day, she wakes up around 5 a.m. to baby-sit two children. After they are dropped off at school, Biser goes to work at a daycare center. She attends classes in the late afternoon and evening before working the graveyard shift at a group home for boys. It is often 3 a.m. before she goes to sleep— only to wake up again at 5 a.m. and start all over.

“It’s hard, but I’m not the type of person who needs a lot of sleep to function,” Biser said. “Still, I don’t think there’s a day that goes by when I’m not stressed.”

Biser’s high stress level, compounded by the small amount of sleep she gets, have affected her physical health. She has scoliosis, a condition characterized by a curvature of the spine, which causes her to have back pain and headaches, especially when sitting for long periods of time. She has been told the lack of sleep aggravates her pain, so she tries her best to get as much sleep as her hectic schedule allows.

Stress is a common theme among working students.

Salina Bautista, a 19-year-old liberal studies major, said working has caused her physical as well as emotional stress.

“My body isn’t prepared sometimes to sit in class after staying up late studying after going to work,” said Bautista, who works at least 30 hours a week at Mervyn’s department store. Bautista said she was always a hard-working student, but getting good grades in college has been more of a challenge because of the added responsibilities that come along with having a steady job.
Hamel said working does have the potential to be a major stress factor for students, as do relationships, finances and other everyday issues.

“Stress is about how you perceive what is happening to you,” Hamel said. He suggested that students cut out things like a cell phone or a fancy car if it allows them to work less and devote more time to school.
For Biser, the biggest sacrifice has been not being able to go home for Christmas in three years because of her busy work schedule. She hopes this Christmas will be different.

“I’m going to try to surprise my mom this year and come home,” she said.