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These days, the typical routine of a student revolves around a constant state of multitasking. University life is punctuated by cups upon cups of coffee, cramming over last-minute papers, nervous pacing over oral exams, and bracing oneself for the draining weeks to come.
For some students, though, there’s another addition to their already endless to-do lists: A part-time job. In addition to the usual fanfare of student woes, it’s becoming a common sight for college students to be juggling part-time jobs, and this is due to a number of reasons: from necessity, to passion, to mere resume-building, we see how the quest for part-time raket varies from person to person.
In the midst of clawing through hell weeks and balancing their numerous extra-curricular responsibilities, how exactly do these multi-taskers breeze through college life despite their chock-full schedules? We ask a few of these miracle workers about how they balance school, work, and everything in-between.
Hustle and bustle
When it comes to multi-tasking, communication senior Rachel Coates is the lady for the job. Coates stands out in any crowd: shiny, maroon-red hair, a stunning two-carat smile, and a presence you just can’t ignore—for good reason, too. She’s been in the theater business for as long as she can remember, but that’s not all she does. Lining her impressive resume are a jumble of other talents: from being a spoken-word poet to a disc jockey, Coates’ ability is backed up with years’ worth of experiences at just the tender age of twenty-two.
Coates shares her current set-up and how she first got into work, saying, “I recently finished a contract job with a performing arts company [Red Turnip Theater], [and] I’ve been freelancing birthday parties and gigs since high school.”
Under contract, her typical schedule looks like this: Finish class at 2:00 PM, go straight to work, finish at 11:00 PM, then go to class at 9:30 AM the next day. Shows take up her weekends, save for a few windows of rest which she uses for studying. Rinse, repeat.
For management freshman Reins Mika Melitante, her schedule is just as hectic, but even more unpredictable. The sweet, mild-mannered 19-year-old has been in the part-time modelling industry for three years, jump-starting her career at the ripe age of 17.
The life of a model can be a frenzied one, as Melitante explains how her schedule tends to be quite uncertain. “Sometimes it’s tiring kasi getting projects is unpredictable, it’s not a scheduled thing,” she says. “You can get booked for a project by tomorrow and only be learning it lang today.”
Funnily enough, Melitante’s part-time career was one she accidentally stumbled upon. The five foot seven, gazelle-like teen shares how she entered the profession. “Being a model isn’t something I really wanted to be, it was like a door that opened for me,” the towering teen says. “It wasn’t in the plan.”
On the flipside, management-honors freshman Julia Isabelle Ocoma had always been gunning for the entrepreneurial life. Since August of this year, the determined 19-year-old has been an independent advertising associate for a US-based business.
“[I do it] to start as early as possible,” Ocoma says, with the easygoing confidence of having spoken to past clients. “Ever since I was a kid, my story books were always business books […] I remember reading books such as Secrets of the Millionaire Mind and Rich Dad Poor Dad, and I remember a quote: ‘Just get in there!’”
Behind the grind
While there are a number of students who take on part-time jobs, their reasons behind it differ from person to person.
Coates, for example, works out of necessity. “I’d say before, in high school, it was purely passion. Some of the jobs I would do were [for] free,” she says.
“Now, because school fees are hiking up, and I pay for part of my tuition, it’s kind of become more of a necessity. [Performing at] birthday parties are hardly artistically fulfilling, but you do them because they give you the best revenue and they really help with tuition or extracurricular things you need,” she explains.
Others chase for something more abstract, such as opportunities for skill-building. “I’m not after the money, I’m after the experience,” says Melitante. “If it pays low but the exposure is high, I would see to it, like editorials. Fashion shows [are] also something I like doing.”
Regardless of their additional workload, however, these ladies emphasize the importance of their education.
While at gigs or birthday parties, Coates brings her school readings to browse at the backstage during her free time. “No matter how much time I spend at work, school is always on the back of my mind […] I’m an Ateneo student first. [School is] my first love, and I like to learn,” she says.
Melitante adds that her goal is to get her degree. “I really think [modeling] is on the side; it has a timeline, so once you stop getting projects, you know it’s over. At least, if you have a degree and you graduate, there are more jobs and opportunities. Modeling for me is just an experience.”
Ocoma’s father constantly reminds her of three things: academics, business, and overall well-being. There are challenges and expectations from the degree program, but for her, “those are the three pillars you are going to stand on for college.”
Strength of the struggle
These hard workers continuously balance their commitments to academics and freelancing, while maximizing their college experiences. However, it’s not just through these personal testaments that we see the merits of part-time jobs, but research has also proven its many advantages.
Researcher Hongyu Wang conducted a study on the effects of doing part-time jobs on college students’ academic and social life, finding that doing part‐time jobs actually “enriches students’ school life and increases their social support network as well.”
Other research shows that working students balance time more efficiently because of the sit of juggling jobs, academics, and relationships—some even experience satisfaction because of the newfound independence.
Luckily, academic performance is not at the brunt of the topic. But too much attention on jobs lead to a downturn on the part-timers’ health, and a paper states that there is a decrease in their average hours of shut-eye – as if college is not enough to make one lose sleep.
Balancing the scales
The golden question underlying everyone’s minds when it comes to these forces of nature is of course, how do they manage such a feat?
“I’m not entirely sure how I did it,” Coates jokingly admits. “On Sundays, I get a window from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM, [and] I try to get majority of my work done. The other option is to [study] late at night after work, but I try to avoid that.”
She admits the idea of rest is definitely on her mind most times. “Maybe next semester, I might take a break and not take on a contract, so I can enjoy my last couple of months in the Ateneo,” she says. “I feel like it’s on fast mode [at] certain times.”
For Melitante, she picks the best jobs offered based on her discretion. “It’s really important to choose your priority; if you don’t set it straight, you might go overboard.” There were some missed opportunities to meet new people, but the part-time model insists that the career contributes to her future.
“Having a priority also gives you direction and makes you want to give commitment and time to it,” she shares. “If there’s homework, I do it as early as I can, so if ever something comes up, I’ll be done with it.”
Ocoma adds that goal-setting is one way she copes: “I am very clear with my goals. I have a vision board at home… which I see everyday. [In one corner of this], I have a game plan for the different aspects of my life: financial, spiritual, physical, mental, family, career, and [personal].”
Looking ahead
For Ocoma, the main takeaway for a part-time job is to gather experience. She emphasizes the application of school in real life. She comments on how the education system condemns a student’s errors through grades. The marketing associate emphasizes the relevance of making mistakes when learning, especially in the business context. “Get ready to fail, but fail forward,” she warns.
For graduating student Coates, she advises that organizations may help a student enhance their skills. “A lot of people get discovered through performing arts organizations here in the Ateneo, [and] if you know the right people and the right places to go, then you’re set,” she says. “But the thing is, a perfect jumping off point for finding those people and opportunities are orgs.”
For all three, it’s easy to see how there’s a world of a difference when one chooses to commit into the life of a working student. Experiences become more nuanced, and one sees the world in a whole different light, as Melitante best puts it: “If you have the chance, you should seize the opportunity [to work] so you have the knowledge of what’s happening in the real world,” she says.
Working students deserve to be lauded for their professional multi-tasking skills, sheer grit, and determination—and while it may seem like an impossible feat, anyone can take the plunge into the corporate life. Whether you’re trying to nab that sideline gig to earn some extra cash, or you’re just looking for some hard-earned experience, the quest for a part-time job is both harrowing and exciting – and the journey getting there is all part of the learning process.
Photo by Joshua Tan
