Should I quit my part time job for school?
Recently Caitlin, one of my readers, wrote to me with this question:
Would you recommend quitting my part time job for A Levels? At the moment it's not having a great deal of impact except for that I have 6 days a week to complete work instead of 7, but I'm worried it will start to as I gain a more comprehensive revision timetable, especially considering I am planning on taking all 4 subjects at A2. I love having the money as I can treat myself and my family, and learn to drive, but my education means more to me than that.
Video: Should I quit my part time job for school?
What I did…
When I was at school I didn't have a regular part-time job. I knew I couldn't do my studies justice if I did. However, I did have occasional jobs and holiday jobs. For example, I was offered a job in the admin department of a solitictor's office one summer on the strength of doing some work experience. I did occasional waitressing jobs and I worked in a curtain making workshop in the school holidays.
This allowed me to earn a little bit of money but keep my focus on my goal of getting into Cambridge. I knew that achieving that would have a much greater positive impact on my life in the long term than earning a few pounds an hour in a low-grade job.
In summary
Quit your part time job if:
- It's not leaving you enough time to study
- It's leaving you tired and drained
- You're not getting enough time to de-stress and chill out
Keep your part time job if:
- It's a welcome break from studying
- It energises and interests you
- It's helping you with your longer term aims e.g. giving you valuable work experience
Helpful links
The Weekly Routine of a Straight A Student (with 8 steps to create your own)
The anatomy of a revision plan that gets outstanding results