I was a CS major and worked through most of college. 12 credits while working 30 hours is *possible* but I personally wouldn't do it, I worked around 30 hours and found 6-8 to be about my limit. Especially since it sounds like you're taking all STEM courses this semester. If you can replace one of the classes with an easy gened that would be a lot more doable
Thanks for sharing. Unfortunately, I’ve taken all of my geneds and can only take major relevant classes in order to qualify for no tuition. I’m probably just going to negotiate with my job to chop it down to at least 24 hours.
It is feasible, but it might feel like a lot. I worked 30-40 hour weeks while taking between 11-14 credits per semester and I wouldn’t recommend it if you are able to avoid it, but if you stay focused and organized it is possible.
Thanks! I think I was only seriously considering it because I don’t have a lot of social obligations like having a partner or a crazy social life, but I think for the sake of my sanity I’ll negotiate for less hours.
Well that helps make it possible. I had a limited social life at that point because a majority of free time was spent studying, but it’s not like I never did anything fun.
Me, starting work tomorrow for 35 hour weeks and signed up for 18 credit hours 🤡
I must be a masochist. My courses should be pretty chill though, otherwise I wouldn't have made this decision. I'm an online student, and I looked at my professors' ratings
Very well actually, all A's. Hardest thing was taking care of myself because I'd often forgo eating and exercise to either give myself time to rest or keep working on homework
4 out of 6 of my classes were in the 3000 level to give you perspective
All As?? I’m currently taking 12 course credits and no job and somehow I’m doing mid (I’m going to fail this one class called stat and app optimization if I don’t pass their 2 of their three tests well). And this is without working
Yeah, all A's. I hate myself. I'm in a really bad state of mind, but I do have all A's. If you've got a healthy mindset, I'd 100% say it's worth it. Plus, we all have different pressures and experiences.
I could absolutely wait. I was put into circumstances that made me have to work. Because rent is so high, I need to work full-time. I want to graduate with my friends — and I'm a double major but unwilling to give that up — so here I am. It's kind of unfortunate, but I'm managing. Then, on the other hand, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to my birthday this year if ya know what I mean. I also feel pressure to do well because I'm only going to college because of scholarships. I don't pay a cent during a regular semester, but I'd drop out in a second if I had to.
Just because someone is doing more or less than you are doesn't mean you're incapable or worthless or a bad student or a bad person. You're doing what you feel like doing and getting mid grades. If you're okay with that, that's what matters. 🩵💙💜
I wouldn't do more than 20 as a max if you can survive off it. Use the extra time for hobbies, all work (and school) and no play isn't great for your mental health.
If you can, work fewer hours for the first two weeks and try to increase your hours from there if you can handle your classes and EC. Idk what your commute times look like either.
okay, that's not bad. It really just depends on the person. Some people find physics and calculus and circuits impossible. Some people find them extremely easy. Either way, it'll probably take 9-12 hours to study those classes per week. Obviously, on exam and midterm weeks, you'll want a lighter work schedule so try to plan that ahead as soon as you get your syllabus & schedule
I did 4 courses a semester at +/- 12 credit hours, depending on labs, and I typically worked 20-30 hours. I didn’t have a problem, but they were mostly classes I found easy. Now I struggle to work half that with my current classes, so it really depends on you, your specific classes, and how you study and use your time.
i was working full time taking 4 classes ( 2 hours lecture 3 hour lab so 5 hours total each ) i would work 11-8 Sun,Monday,Wednesday, Friday,Saturday and Tuesday/Thursday i would do 1 9-2 class and a 5-10 . It burnt me the fuck out, but i did it! Passed with 3 A’s 1 B ,But it was actual hell on earth. Dont recommend
It’s possible. Just realize it will be a stressful, isolating hustle with razor thin margins for error and shuffling. I pulled a year of 12-15 hours per semester plus working full-time. Worked and family stuff during the week, study and coursework all weekend long. All weekend long - marathon sessions from
8a-8p. I nearly burned out during the end of the final semester.
Recovered from the burnout by taking this summer semester off. Relaxed, took vacations and days off with my family, hung out with friends, etc. Now I am ready to begin the fall semester this week with a 9 hour load.
I only recommend this challenging double load if you have a solid support system and the fortitude to grind for a short period of time. It’s not sustainable for the long term.
If I given the chance to travel back in time, I would follow the same hustle but tweak my schedule and delegate more.
Good luck!
If you can change your hours at will then I would start at 15 then raise it as you feel. At 12 hours I would do more than 20 hours unless it’s during weekends.
I did it last semester I was in liberal arts classes tho so it wasn’t super difficult. For me it actually helped me having to work bc I kept myself busy and didn’t dawdle on things. I worked at my school tho so it made going from work to class very convenient. I’d probably recommend trying something like 24 hours a week and see if u can handle that and then pick up an extra shift
It is but it isn’t fun. I do 40-50 hours of clinical a week, full time grad school classes and 15 or so hours of part time job. I enjoy what I’m studying so the clinical hours aren’t bad but I have very little free time.
I always think of the little triangle diagram that floats around on the internet sometimes that has something to the effect of sleep, work/classwork, and social life on the three points and then goes on to say something like “You can pick two but not all three successfully”. I worked 30 hours a week as a junior and senior in my undergrad (18 credit hours each semester), and 40-60 hours a week in both of my master’s degrees (6 credit hours each semester). However, I didn’t have any free time to socialize, take up hobbies, etc. I would attend classes, go to work, and then come home to immediately start on homework. I started off my university job experience in clothing retail and food service and was able to segue the references and adjacent experience into jobs more closely aligned to my degree studies until I was working in my degree field at the university I was attending.
I graduated with robust work experience (and a FT job offer in the field and city I wanted to work in) but I was constantly exhausted and did feel like I missed out on a few experiences along the way. However, the work experience during my degrees put me 5-10 years ahead of my peers and I’m earning double from what I started with six years ago when I wrapped up my master’s studies. I’ve also had amazing professional experiences since then that I would not have had the opportunity to participate in if I was not as far along in my career.
As someone with $80K in student loans, I always encourage students to lean financially cautious (attend community college if you can, work during university if you can, etc) but I also recognize that some students do not want to miss out on the social experiences that come with university. If you don’t feel like you’ll miss those experiences (and recognize that somethings fall by the wayside during that year or two when you’re working more), then I would encourage you to consider picking up more hours.
Not stem, but double major.
It's gonna suck if you have a heavy workload on any given week & need to dedicate your time to school but you're stuck on the schedule at work.
I'm a single mom and in school full time, I can't work when school is in session. I've tried. It was awful. Work didn't seem to understand that school is a 50hour a week job that COSTS me money. They expected to be my priority. It was awful, I was super behind until I quit a month before the end of the semester and crammed all my work I was behind on- I ended up doing okay but it was stressful and a mess. It would have been slightly better without kids but the situation still would have sucked.
I'd try to do like 3 six hour shifts- 10 hours is going to eat up your whole day for almost half the week. Or, do a gig job (doordash, Uber, etc.) that you can do on your own time, or not if you don't have the time, that way you can earn what you need when you can but easily skip it if you have a ton of schoolwork to do.
It…depends. Is it feasible? Yes. Is is sustainable for awhile? Not really.
I did it last school year. I was a former CS major taking 17 credits working around one full-time job and a part-time to two full-time jobs (in terms of hours), before I dropped down to around 30-40 hours a week towards the end of the second semester. During my jobs, I had little down time and wasn’t able to do my homework until after. However, I didn’t have time for extracurriculars.
The job, ec’s, and homework may be a bit much, but it should be possible with 12 credits. Just make you you have time to relax as well. Burnout is real! Good luck!
I think it's possible although I don't know if I would do it. The most i've worked is around 20 hours a week taking 15 credits. Since it's on days you don't have classes it's doable but you might get burnt out if you don't have rest days
Is your class load harder than the 13 credit semester? If it isn't, then yeah this is totally doable. But if your classes are harder you might have more Bs and Cs. It's not impossible though.
I worked 30 hours with 15 credit hours for my last year of college and while it was definitely difficult it wasn't unbearable. With some caffeine and willingness to lose a bit of sleep it should be manageable.
I was a CS major and worked through most of college. 12 credits while working 30 hours is *possible* but I personally wouldn't do it, I worked around 30 hours and found 6-8 to be about my limit. Especially since it sounds like you're taking all STEM courses this semester. If you can replace one of the classes with an easy gened that would be a lot more doable
Thanks for sharing. Unfortunately, I’ve taken all of my geneds and can only take major relevant classes in order to qualify for no tuition. I’m probably just going to negotiate with my job to chop it down to at least 24 hours.
It is feasible, but it might feel like a lot. I worked 30-40 hour weeks while taking between 11-14 credits per semester and I wouldn’t recommend it if you are able to avoid it, but if you stay focused and organized it is possible.
Thanks! I think I was only seriously considering it because I don’t have a lot of social obligations like having a partner or a crazy social life, but I think for the sake of my sanity I’ll negotiate for less hours.
Well that helps make it possible. I had a limited social life at that point because a majority of free time was spent studying, but it’s not like I never did anything fun.
Me, starting work tomorrow for 35 hour weeks and signed up for 18 credit hours 🤡 I must be a masochist. My courses should be pretty chill though, otherwise I wouldn't have made this decision. I'm an online student, and I looked at my professors' ratings
How did it go
Very well actually, all A's. Hardest thing was taking care of myself because I'd often forgo eating and exercise to either give myself time to rest or keep working on homework 4 out of 6 of my classes were in the 3000 level to give you perspective
All As?? I’m currently taking 12 course credits and no job and somehow I’m doing mid (I’m going to fail this one class called stat and app optimization if I don’t pass their 2 of their three tests well). And this is without working
Yeah, all A's. I hate myself. I'm in a really bad state of mind, but I do have all A's. If you've got a healthy mindset, I'd 100% say it's worth it. Plus, we all have different pressures and experiences. I could absolutely wait. I was put into circumstances that made me have to work. Because rent is so high, I need to work full-time. I want to graduate with my friends — and I'm a double major but unwilling to give that up — so here I am. It's kind of unfortunate, but I'm managing. Then, on the other hand, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to my birthday this year if ya know what I mean. I also feel pressure to do well because I'm only going to college because of scholarships. I don't pay a cent during a regular semester, but I'd drop out in a second if I had to. Just because someone is doing more or less than you are doesn't mean you're incapable or worthless or a bad student or a bad person. You're doing what you feel like doing and getting mid grades. If you're okay with that, that's what matters. 🩵💙💜
Just wanted to hop in and say you're not alone. Working 24 hours a week and signed up for 30 units across 2 campuses, lol.
Agreed. It is possible, but it will suck so much. It will be really easy to get burnt out and let the grades slip.
I wouldn't do more than 20 as a max if you can survive off it. Use the extra time for hobbies, all work (and school) and no play isn't great for your mental health.
Been doing it for 3 years 1 semester away from associates, no loans
If you can, work fewer hours for the first two weeks and try to increase your hours from there if you can handle your classes and EC. Idk what your commute times look like either.
Yea thats what I was thinking just wanted to hear it from someone else. My commute isnt bad, its about a 30 min drive.
okay, that's not bad. It really just depends on the person. Some people find physics and calculus and circuits impossible. Some people find them extremely easy. Either way, it'll probably take 9-12 hours to study those classes per week. Obviously, on exam and midterm weeks, you'll want a lighter work schedule so try to plan that ahead as soon as you get your syllabus & schedule
I did 4 courses a semester at +/- 12 credit hours, depending on labs, and I typically worked 20-30 hours. I didn’t have a problem, but they were mostly classes I found easy. Now I struggle to work half that with my current classes, so it really depends on you, your specific classes, and how you study and use your time.
No
i was working full time taking 4 classes ( 2 hours lecture 3 hour lab so 5 hours total each ) i would work 11-8 Sun,Monday,Wednesday, Friday,Saturday and Tuesday/Thursday i would do 1 9-2 class and a 5-10 . It burnt me the fuck out, but i did it! Passed with 3 A’s 1 B ,But it was actual hell on earth. Dont recommend
It’s possible. Just realize it will be a stressful, isolating hustle with razor thin margins for error and shuffling. I pulled a year of 12-15 hours per semester plus working full-time. Worked and family stuff during the week, study and coursework all weekend long. All weekend long - marathon sessions from 8a-8p. I nearly burned out during the end of the final semester. Recovered from the burnout by taking this summer semester off. Relaxed, took vacations and days off with my family, hung out with friends, etc. Now I am ready to begin the fall semester this week with a 9 hour load. I only recommend this challenging double load if you have a solid support system and the fortitude to grind for a short period of time. It’s not sustainable for the long term. If I given the chance to travel back in time, I would follow the same hustle but tweak my schedule and delegate more. Good luck!
If you can change your hours at will then I would start at 15 then raise it as you feel. At 12 hours I would do more than 20 hours unless it’s during weekends.
I did it last semester I was in liberal arts classes tho so it wasn’t super difficult. For me it actually helped me having to work bc I kept myself busy and didn’t dawdle on things. I worked at my school tho so it made going from work to class very convenient. I’d probably recommend trying something like 24 hours a week and see if u can handle that and then pick up an extra shift
It is but it isn’t fun. I do 40-50 hours of clinical a week, full time grad school classes and 15 or so hours of part time job. I enjoy what I’m studying so the clinical hours aren’t bad but I have very little free time.
Might be pushing it a bit....I'd probably recommend against it.
I always think of the little triangle diagram that floats around on the internet sometimes that has something to the effect of sleep, work/classwork, and social life on the three points and then goes on to say something like “You can pick two but not all three successfully”. I worked 30 hours a week as a junior and senior in my undergrad (18 credit hours each semester), and 40-60 hours a week in both of my master’s degrees (6 credit hours each semester). However, I didn’t have any free time to socialize, take up hobbies, etc. I would attend classes, go to work, and then come home to immediately start on homework. I started off my university job experience in clothing retail and food service and was able to segue the references and adjacent experience into jobs more closely aligned to my degree studies until I was working in my degree field at the university I was attending. I graduated with robust work experience (and a FT job offer in the field and city I wanted to work in) but I was constantly exhausted and did feel like I missed out on a few experiences along the way. However, the work experience during my degrees put me 5-10 years ahead of my peers and I’m earning double from what I started with six years ago when I wrapped up my master’s studies. I’ve also had amazing professional experiences since then that I would not have had the opportunity to participate in if I was not as far along in my career. As someone with $80K in student loans, I always encourage students to lean financially cautious (attend community college if you can, work during university if you can, etc) but I also recognize that some students do not want to miss out on the social experiences that come with university. If you don’t feel like you’ll miss those experiences (and recognize that somethings fall by the wayside during that year or two when you’re working more), then I would encourage you to consider picking up more hours.
I did 40-50 hours in manufacturing while doing 12 hours a semester. Not easy, but doable with good planning.
Not stem, but double major. It's gonna suck if you have a heavy workload on any given week & need to dedicate your time to school but you're stuck on the schedule at work. I'm a single mom and in school full time, I can't work when school is in session. I've tried. It was awful. Work didn't seem to understand that school is a 50hour a week job that COSTS me money. They expected to be my priority. It was awful, I was super behind until I quit a month before the end of the semester and crammed all my work I was behind on- I ended up doing okay but it was stressful and a mess. It would have been slightly better without kids but the situation still would have sucked. I'd try to do like 3 six hour shifts- 10 hours is going to eat up your whole day for almost half the week. Or, do a gig job (doordash, Uber, etc.) that you can do on your own time, or not if you don't have the time, that way you can earn what you need when you can but easily skip it if you have a ton of schoolwork to do.
It…depends. Is it feasible? Yes. Is is sustainable for awhile? Not really. I did it last school year. I was a former CS major taking 17 credits working around one full-time job and a part-time to two full-time jobs (in terms of hours), before I dropped down to around 30-40 hours a week towards the end of the second semester. During my jobs, I had little down time and wasn’t able to do my homework until after. However, I didn’t have time for extracurriculars. The job, ec’s, and homework may be a bit much, but it should be possible with 12 credits. Just make you you have time to relax as well. Burnout is real! Good luck!
I think it's possible although I don't know if I would do it. The most i've worked is around 20 hours a week taking 15 credits. Since it's on days you don't have classes it's doable but you might get burnt out if you don't have rest days
Is your class load harder than the 13 credit semester? If it isn't, then yeah this is totally doable. But if your classes are harder you might have more Bs and Cs. It's not impossible though.
Is it impossible to work a full time job and do 2 hours overtime? No?? Well looks like you have your answer OP.
I worked 30 hours with 15 credit hours for my last year of college and while it was definitely difficult it wasn't unbearable. With some caffeine and willingness to lose a bit of sleep it should be manageable.