The reality of working during college

As I entered my last year of college, I decided it was time to start saving money. So, I applied for not one but two jobs…

One of the later nights bartending.

Since freshman year, it was pretty much drilled into my brain that if you didn’t have an internship before graduation, you were screwed. So, I applied. And I applied. And I applied. Then finally, I heard back from Clarkston Consulting. My internship started in May of 2021, and for whatever reason, I had also applied to bartend in late April. 

I started my first week of training during finals week, which entailed staying up until 4 am (or later) some nights. Luckily, all my finals were flexible or in the afternoon, so I didn’t have to wake up early. But before I knew it, I was starting my internship. My hours were 9 am to 5 pm during the week, and I would bartend about five nights a week AND work doubles on Saturday.

These insane hours caught up to me quickly. It got so bad that I would use my lunch breaks to nap… but hey, I was making gooooood money. I’m really proud of myself for working so hard and saving all my earnings, but eventually, I burnt out. 

I somehow managed to do well in work and maintain functionality with my minimal sleep. But can you imagine doing that on top of classes? I couldn’t justify it. So, when FDOC rolled around, I decided it was time to retire my bartending skills and focus on my internship (and school, of course).

My point here is simple. While working during college is a great experience and teaches essential values, prioritizing your mental and physical health is more important. Don’t overdo it, and just enjoy college while you can!