Full-Time Work and Study

[kaseyleigh]

Hi guys,

 

I was hoping to get a bit of feedback about working full-time as well as studying full-time. I am in at GW and American with about the same amount of funding, and both have the majority of classes in the evening, which is regularly touted as a plus, since it allows students to work or intern in the day. Clearly, it is not ideal, but I need to work full-time for my living costs- I do not want to take out that much more in loans. Both of my scholarship offers require me to be a full-time student as well.

 

I'm wondering, then, if it is do-able to take 9 credits of class per semester at night, and work full time during the day. My only other option is that American also gave me a $4500 research assistantship and you have to do up to 10 hours of research assistance, so I could do that and then find a job for the other three or four days a week or something. 

 

I'd love to hear thoughts on this! If you need any clarification, please just ask.

[deletethisname]

I am in the same boat as kaseyleigh and would appreciate some feedback as well.

[jujubea]

I spoke with a recent graduate from one of the programs I was considering. He took 9 credits per semester, and worked full-time during the day, and had a wife and kids. 

 

He said what helped was the department understood his situation and wanted to work with him to help make it possible. He did his best to keep his classes to only one or two days per week (which meant on one day per week, he would go to class from 3:30 to 9:30; other semesters he'd have two nights of about 5 to 9). His job was also flexible with him, and he said that helped a lot too. 

He had to be very organized, and made Sunday his day of school work no matter what, which meant he missed certain family events, etc, but his wife was on board with this discipline, so he could get his PhD and skeedaddle.

 

I used to work full-time and took 2-3 graduate classes per quarter; I second that it was only possible because both work and school were understanding (in my case, I worked AT the school). I came out with a 3.96 GPA and over 25 credits. I also found time to take martial arts classes 2-3 times per week and be part of a recreational club that met once a week. I was admittedly frazzled, but balancing the work and school with those extracurrics helped me stay sane. Part of my ability to do it was also that I was in my early 20's at the time, when I had much more energy than I do now. 

 

It sounds like it's possible, but not at all easy, and if I were in your shoes, I would consider reaching out to someone in the program to ask whether other students do this, and how it is handled (by both the student and the faculty).

 

Good luck - and good on you for working so hard for a thing that many people will never have the chance to work hard at, even though they want to.

[jujubea]

Also, just my opinion, I would take up that RAship offer, because it really adds to your CV at the end of the day, so even if you have to settle for an unrelated job somewhere, you at least have that relevant and real experience, plus the presumed accolades of having been offered the RAship in the first place. Just my two cents

[Atlas445]

I'm in the same boat.  I was accepted at American's SIS and GWU's Elliot School.  I'm already living and working full-time in the DC area, so it's my intention to work full-time and attend full-time (my scholarship offer at GWU is contingent upon this also!).  Obviously it's not ideal to have to work full-time and attend full-time, but I'm fairly confident that it's possible as I know several co-workers that have done it.  Also, being 27 I like being able to pay all my bills on time lol.  I feel like as you get older you start thinking about things like - will I be able to buy a house in the near future?  The thought of racking up a lot of excess debt isn't very enticing or conducive to my future financial goals so I feel that in spite of whatever obstacles juggling full-time work/school poses are just things I will have to overcome, but I'm interested to hear feedback from others who have been in this situation, and how manageable it was.

[hikarizx]

You might want to reach out to current students in the program and ask them about it because it could vary depending on the school. 

 

I personally would find something that will allow flexible hours/working on the weekend. Or something that will allow you some leeway to study at work. Like I said, it could vary depending on the school - if electives from other departments are offered during the day, you want to do an internship, or there are campus events going on, that may make a difference. 

 

During my senior year of undergrad I took 15 credits, worked 20 hrs/week, and did an internship, but that's undergrad. From that experience I can say it was difficult but doable. You can find out from current students what to expect for how much time you'll need to spend on school work outside of class, which I think would be helpful.

[kaseyleigh]

Thanks so much for the encouragement, everyone, and I'm happy to hear that other people are in my same boat! It is easy to get overwhelmed thinking about all the different scenarios, so it is nice to commiserate. 

 

If I were to take the RAship, does anyone (maybe people already working in DC) have a sense of how difficult it would be to find another job, hopefully relevant, to do part time? I'm not looking to work retail or as a waitress or something. One of my main concerns with the RAship is that it would not cover holidays, like the summer, so I would have to switch over to doing something full-time then. It just sounds complicated, though the RAship would definitely be fantastic experience.

[Atlas445]

Thanks so much for the encouragement, everyone, and I'm happy to hear that other people are in my same boat! It is easy to get overwhelmed thinking about all the different scenarios, so it is nice to commiserate. 

 

If I were to take the RAship, does anyone (maybe people already working in DC) have a sense of how difficult it would be to find another job, hopefully relevant, to do part time? I'm not looking to work retail or as a waitress or something. One of my main concerns with the RAship is that it would not cover holidays, like the summer, so I would have to switch over to doing something full-time then. It just sounds complicated, though the RAship would definitely be fantastic experience.

 

What kind of work are you looking for.  Maybe a better question is - what are you wanting to do post-graduation?

[kaseyleigh]

What kind of work are you looking for.  Maybe a better question is - what are you wanting to do post-graduation?

 

Well, I don't want to narrow my options down too much, but I would just love to work at a think tank, State Dept., even maybe a consulting firm, etc. I was planning to do a foreign policy concentration. I think anything internationally-focused (or even just something policy-focused) would be great for during grad school!

[Poli92]

Do you have a regional emphasis? 

[kaseyleigh]

Do you have a regional emphasis? 

 

Russia/Eurasia has been my strongest regional background. I wasn't necessarily going to concentrate in that during school, but those are my language skills, etc.

[kaseyleigh]

FYI just realized the research RA stipend is $4500 over a year, instead of each semester. That just isn't going to be enough funding, so I will have to be working full time and turning that down.

[Atlas445]

FYI just realized the research RA stipend is $4500 over a year, instead of each semester. That just isn't going to be enough funding, so I will have to be working full time and turning that down.

 

I PM'd you some thoughts!  

[jujubea]

FYI just realized the research RA stipend is $4500 over a year, instead of each semester. That just isn't going to be enough funding, so I will have to be working full time and turning that down.

 

Ouch, that is brutal.

[leon32]

You will hate yourself during the 2-3 weeks of midterms, and probably the last month of the semester with papers, finals etc. coming due, which partially depends on what classes you take/how hard your program is. (probably try to balance easy and hard classes) You will miss out on extra-curricular options and social stuff. However, money and experience are both great, so it is a balance. Maybe consider giving yourself the first semester to find work and to just be a student, make connections, etc. 

[kaseyleigh]

Hey guys, just FYI for those of you who also got fellowships requiring you to be full-time: I saw somewhere that GW has a policy against being a full-time student and also working full-time, but I emailed the admissions office and they said it is possible to be approved for part time study and to also still receive your fellowship. They said you have to submit a formal request to be approved for part time study and the Director of Graduate Admissions will review it, then they will go from there. 

[Kalaba]

Kaseyleigh, that's interesting about GWU's funding.

 

I received a hefty chunk of funding, but since my job is directly related to what I would like to be doing I plan to keep working. I'm planning on 3 classes plus 80% time, I guess I should check in with GWU to ensure I'm not going against any policies that could endanger my funding.

 

And for what it's worth, even if my job weren't related I would keep working. 1) it will allow me to graduate without any debt and 2) I like to be busy.

 

I think it's doable, but you have to expect to have no real life, except on breaks. I anticipate spending most of my time in working, in class, or studying (with some time carved out for the things I need to keep me sane and relaxed).

 

I've had friends who have done this, and I think it's worth it to still graduate in 2 (or 2.5) years and gain hard skills. It's definitely not for everyone though.

[WhatAmIDoingNow]

Can you do the RA and find a paid internships?  The nice thing about the RA is that it is guaranteed, while finding employment may take some time.  Your supervisors also take into consideration that your academics come first, which employers may not, depending on where you get a job. If you do paid internships, you can align your academic assignments to your internships and it is great for your resume/cv and networking.