Working part-time as a university student.

As we know, the journey of a university student is not easy. They struggle to complete assignments, attend classes, make presentations and others. There are also those who are actively involved with certain associations such as faculty student associations, clubs, sports and so on. However, as university students, they are certainly burdened with various fees whether involving classes or associations, especially if the student lives in a rented house and uses public transport. They had to take out a loan from a certain educational institution and of course they would have to pay it back when they finished their studies later in the day. Thus, there are some of them who do part-time work outside to cover the cost of studies and housing because all of that requires a lot of money.

University students are made up of various backgrounds, among them there are those who live affordably and don't worry about property and expenses. However, there are those who are less fortunate and need to use their daily time in addition to studying and working together to cover daily costs. They also work because they don't want to trouble their parents by begging for money.

However, is working while studying for university or school students encouraged? This is a very subjective matter depending on the student's ability. Among them there are those who can learn quickly and can complete assignments given by lecturers and teachers well, but there are also those who are not so fast in learning and need a lot of time to understand a topic or complete an assignment.

It is important for students to know their strengths and weaknesses before venturing into or trying a part-time job so that their learning is not neglected, and their assignments are not completed. This is important because there are students who are too confident in their performance and work hard all day until they do not complete assignments or study and get failed results.

There are various part-time jobs that students can do either online or physically. Among the online part-time jobs is selling goods on certain platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Twitter. In addition, if there are no items to sell, students can also become drop shippers for certain companies, and this is easier for students because they do not need to hold stock and only need to advertise certain products such as beauty products or food. In addition, there are other jobs such as editors, digital marketing, video makers or photographers that students can do.

While for physical work that can be done by students, it is working in the field of food and beverage or retails such as clothes and goods stores. Some university students will prefer to work in the food and beverage field as part-time because it is easier without requiring complicated skills, a flexible schedule and there are many job vacancies.

Next, the selection of part-time work for students needs to be seen from the point of view of time, task, and appropriate place. Students need to evaluate various angles before starting or choosing a part-time job, such as transportation, distance, and time flexibility.

A balance between work and study is very necessary for students. Because if time is not managed well, then the student can burn out. So, it is important for students to know how to manage their time to study and work so that they can achieve an excellent score in the exam and get a good salary because of work. Among the guidelines and methods to ensure academic achievements and part-time hustle are well obtained are:

1) Making Planning (Prioritizing What's Necessary): Students need to complete time management by creating a workflow chart on a weekly or monthly basis. Students can use the Calendar application or write on paper and books to make plans to avoid time conflicts for work, daily activities and studying. Students need to prioritize the most important tasks as words that need to be completed immediately, then follow up with tasks that are less stressful or that do not need to be completed immediately. Use SMART goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound to plan clearly without feeling heavy or burn out.

2) Optimize study time: Students need to know the peak time for them to study. This is because every student has a different golden time to study, some can study in the middle of the night to be more focused, but some also like the early morning to study because it is more effective. So, students need to avoid work shifts or work assignments during their study time so that the time does not become wasted for them. Students are also encouraged to find a place to study that is conducive to focus more. In addition, students can also use various techniques when studying such as the Pomodoro Technique which involves 25 minutes of work focus and rest in a short period of time. Repeating a topic many times is more effective. Students should not hesitate to ask for help from friends or lecturers when faced with problems while studying.

3) Work-life balance: Maintaining mental and physical health. It is important for students to set clear boundaries between work and study to avoid conflict between work and study. Students need to clearly inform the work schedule that can be done to the workplace manager and must be brave enough to say no to extra shifts if there is an assignment or exam deadline. This is because learning and academic achievement are more important. Students are not encouraged to force themselves to work and study only in the day, they need to go out to get fresh air and clear their mind. Don't burden yourself with so many tasks that it can cause extreme stress. In addition, working students need to exercise, eat healthy, and sleep enough to get a good mood and reduce stress. It's okay to turn down social commitments or extra work if you don't have enough time. Don't feel guilty to avoid burnout or being unproductive. Get enough rest and reduce stress.

Furthermore, students can use the smartphone application to manage assignments, set reminders or track their own progress. Among the applications that have these functions are Todoist, Productive, and Any.do. There are also productivity techniques that students can use in their daily lives such as Time blocking, eat the frog, getting things done, task batching, and The Eisenhower Matrix. Students should not be shy or hesitate to ask experts or engage in programs that teach work productivity methods.

It is most important for part-time students to know that time management is a journey and not a destination. Don't be afraid to use various methods or strategies to get excellent academic achievements while being able to do work well without neglecting one of them.