(Mike Taing via Freeform)
Is college really the time to live your best life? Let’s be real, some of us couldn’t wait to go to experience freedom, but being enrolled comes with a price whether you’re on a full ride or not. Besides paying for books, dorms, meal plans and tuition, you will still need basic necessities to survive.
On “grown-ish,” episode 11 of the current season, Junior (Marcus Scribner) needs extra cash, which leads him to develop a side hustle in the stock market. His parents take care of housing and tuition, but Junior wants his own money to keep up with his “cool guy” status on campus.
“Finances are important, but if they take away from your commitment to college, what’s it all for,” stated his professor.
Junior became so focused on his side hustle, that he began to fail his tests.
If you haven’t been in this situation before, you may know someone that is working a full-time job while taking college classes. As a recent college graduate, I’m here to let you know that it is not easy if you do not have the financial support.
What happens when you’re in that position? Unfortunately, being “grown-ish” means you have to figure it out.
Here are a few tips to keep cash in your pocket while maintaining a healthy balance of work and classes:
- Apply for a work-study job. It is an on-campus job that allows you to study at work. Speak with a representative in your financial aid office for more details.
- Check with the executive board of your campus clubs. Scholarships may be available.
- If you receive reimbursements from your campus each semester, make smart choices when it comes to the things you spend it on. Save some for a rainy day.
- Offer tutoring services.
- Sell your books.
- Become a part-time substitute teacher. Your college town is also a community to locals, so take advantage of the local grade schools. It’s convenient because you are just babysitting a class and while they’re at P.E., at lunch or completing assignments, you can use that time to study and complete your own personal assignments.
You may be blessed enough to not experience what Junior went through, but for those of you who do, it is ok to not have it all together and make mistakes. Whatever you do, never give up.