University of Memphis criminal justice sophomore Jesse Labrum wakes up every morning for class knowing he has a long day ahead.
His first class starts at 9:10 a.m. When he gets out of class around 5 p.m., he heads to Carrabba’s, where he serves tables and works about 30 hours per week.
Most nights he heads home from work, often not until about 10 p.m., to study.
The next day, he gets up and does it all over again.
“It can definitely be stressful sometimes, but I have to work to pay for things like my fraternity and just to have spending money,” Labrum said.
Labrum is not at all alone in trying to balance school, work and other extracurricular activities. About 80 percent of all college students work.
That number, totaling roughly 14 million people, makes up 8 percent of the entire work force, according to a 2015 Georgetown University study “Learning while Earning: the new Normal.”
Many students at the University of Memphis are among those who work and go to school for a variety of reasons, including peers, bills, debt and the cost of extracurricular activities.
Some students have to work in order to be ready to pay off debts after school, according to Eraina Schauss, a U of M psychology professor and coordinator of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program.
“The vast majority of students in our programs have either part- or full-time employment,” Schauss, who is an expert in stress management and wellness, said. “There is a definite focus on working to pay your way through your degree program. If students incur a lot of debt through loans without securing gainful employment post graduation, they won’t have a way of paying off their debts.”
Some students see their friends working and decide to get a job as well, even though it may not be necessary for them to work.
This could lead to those students having a rough time in classes and becoming overwhelmed, Schauss said.
“Only a student can understand what it is like to be in their shoes,” Schauss said. “Just because they have a friend who works 30 hours a week and takes three classes does not mean that they can as well. Every person has a different threshold for what they can and can’t do and stress that they can and can’t manage.”
If students become too stressed, the university offers ways to help. “Head to the gym, go to the relaxation zone at the counseling center,” Schauss said. “If you are feeling completely overwhelmed and in need of some help, schedule an appointment at the counseling center with a counselor. Counseling is one of the most effective ways to process and manage stress.”
The counseling center is located in the psychology building, room 126.
The center offers free counseling to any student taking at least six credit hours and accepts walk-ins between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Since it is almost time for many students to choose classes, Schauss urged students to plan ahead before choosing their courses and to not overcommit themselves.
“Enroll in fewer courses for the semester,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to drop [a course] during the add/drop period and take it another semester. It is better to be safe than sorry.”
