Keeping up with yourself

Whether students’ noses are stuck in books or in the working world, balancing full-time school schedules with full-time work loads is not uncommon for many VCU students.

Erin Lowery, assistant director of the University Career Center, said she has witnessed the work ethic of VCU students.

“It’s from my experience that most VCU students are working in one way or another, either to help pay for their education or to help pay rent,” Lowery said. “Many of them are working what we call survival jobs, which are positions not related to their career choice or major.”

Kevin Roberts, a senior communication arts and design major, is what he describes as “a lowly employee of Regal Cinemas.” Roberts is a student with a “survival job,” to which he devotes about 24 hours a week to Short Pump’s Regal Cinemas 14 movie theater.

He decided to take on a job for financial independence and responsibility skills.

“It’s nice talking to my folks on the phone and not having to work my way up to ‘Can you put some money in my account?’ ” Roberts said. “I can just talk to my parents about what’s going on in my life.”

Balancing a schedule planned minute-to-minute is not the easiest or healthiest thing to manage.

Student workers, while developing valuable skills for the work place, tend to feel overwhelmed by their long, stressful days. While adult employees work their nine hours a day, student workers work nine hours a day and then attend classes or spend their nights studying.

Roberts works during the day, attends classes, works on homework until 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. and then, he said, “I try to get to my 9 a.m. class on time.” Feeling overwhelmed, he said, is not uncommon.

“It can get tricky keeping up with myself,” he said. “You just have to man up and deal with it.”

A schedule is necessary in these situations. Lowery said multiple responsibilities force students to make schedules. They keep students from procrastinating and also keep them on task, she said.

Roberts said he plans his schedule and organizes his priorities at least two days in advance to combat feelings of chaos.

But those feelings can create panic in students and constant stress is not healthy, said Catey Jansen, fitness wellness program supervisor at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.

“You can upset your body mentally and physically,” she said. “If you’re constantly going, going and going and don’t have time to relax, the less effective your immune system is, so you have a better chance of getting sick.”

Jansen, a senior studying clinical exercise science and balancing her work at the gym, said it’s important for students to schedule “me” time. This is time spent doing what the student enjoys, and it is necessary, Jansen said, to prevent burnout.

“I know I burn out,” she said.

Kurt Iverson, a personal trainer at the Siegel Center and a junior business major, said, “When I feel stressed, and things start piling up, I tend to shut down. I won’t do anything. I’ll just sit in my chair in my room and just forget about everything. I won’t do school work, I won’t go to the gym, so stress relief is very important.”

Students who do not work outside jobs can experience feelings of stress as well. She said the feelings may occur when students over-commit themselves to extracurricular activities such as student organizations or athletics.

Balancing school, work and student organizations is not an easy task. Lowery said she is impressed by VCU students.

“I’m constantly surprised by how much students are able to handle, how much students are able to balance,” she said.

Amit Bhatnagar, a senior psychology and premed student and a member of Sigma Beta Rho Fraternity, said the key is time management.

“Time management is a good skill to have,” he said. “You learn to not waste time doing random stuff like watching TV or chilling on the computer.”

Bhatnagar learned these skills from his 15 to 20 hour-a-week job at Circuit City. He has since left Circuit City but continues to balance his studies with his involvement in Sigma Beta Rho.

Although his focus remains on school, Bhatnagar sets aside time for his enjoyment. He said it’s easy to get caught up in obligations and commitments, but it’s necessary not to work all the time.

“It’s important,” he said. “Every second you spend you will never get back.”