Going to school full-time can seem like a job to some students, however, other students also work a full-time job or multiple jobs just to support themselves financially.
A research survey by the National Center for Education Statistics shows that 42% of full-time college students in the U.S. are also working part-time or full-time jobs.
Elementary education junior Sarah Maza is a full-time UCF student who works both a part-time and a full-time job. She works as a server during the week at Outback Steakhouse on international Drive and on weekends she works as a host at Lombards restaurant inside Universal.
Maza says that that although working two jobs and going to school is tiring, she needs to in order to live.
“I live on my own with my fiancé so, in order to support ourselves, I need to work two jobs and my fiancé works two jobs as well,” Maza said.
Working just one full-time job can be even more stressful than working multiple jobs, according to fine arts senior Cheyenne Stastyshyn.
Stastyshyn works as a kennel technician for a doggy daycare. She works five days a week, sometimes starting as early as 6 a.m. to as late as 9 p.m.
Stastyshyn says that she also works to support herself financially since she lives on her own. She says that she struggles mentally and physically trying to manage both her school and work life.
“I either have to call out of a shift or school because [working and going to school] take a huge toll on my mental and physical health,” Stastyshyn said. “It can be a lot sometimes … I feel like I’m drowning.”
Both Maza and Stastyshyn have used resources on campus like the Counseling and Psychological Services, or CAPS, to help with their situations. CAPS helps UCF students by “seeking to strengthen student success by minimizing the interruption of learning caused by mental health concerns,” according to their website.
Some of the services that CAPS offers include:
• Initial assessments
• Individual counseling
• Group therapy
• Workshops
• Educational presentations
In addition to resources that deal with mental health, UCF also has an organization that offers monetary assistance to students.
The UCF Student Support Foundation under the Lead Scholars Academy provides a grant for students that require financial assistance. The grant can be up to $200 and is given once a semester per student. The grant can be used for academic help, emergency needs or community expenses.
Students in need of these services can find out more information on their respective websites.
