Is it just me or are we more exhausted than usual?
It’s only the third week of school, and yet the students I usually see powerwalking through the Memorial Union have been reduced to feet-dragging, sunken-eyed, pajama-wearing zombies.
Whenever I ask people in my classes how they’re doing, I’m greeted by a face shackled with stress and replies of, “I’m soooo tired.”
What gives? I never thought I’d end up like one of those sad sacks with a seven-day work week, but here I am. College students are supposed to be broke and tired with barely enough time in the day to make cereal, but something in my gut tells me that just isn’t right. As I get older and as more semesters pass me by, I find that more and more students are simply forced to pick up a part-time job on top of their 12-plus credit hours and extracurricular activities. I even see the kids who used to park their Mercedes Benz cars at my high school’s parking lot working at Gap.
Today’s students just aren't getting the props they deserve.
I’ve held a part-time job consistently since high school, and I can speak from experience that employers, for the most part, don’t try to make things any easier. Since I was 15 years old, my employers, especially the corporate ones, have treated me like a replaceable, good-for-nothing employee.
I would always provide accurate documentation of my school schedule during the interview process. But every time I was hired, I’d be immediately scheduled outside of my provided — and agreed upon — availability with no further explanation other than, “Well, we need you to work.”
I completely understand that companies have businesses to run. But if that’s the case, they shouldn’t recruit students who have full schedules with the intention of disregarding their priorities as employees.
Many businesses hire young adults just to get someone on the schedule. If employees have problem with their scheduled hours, employers seem to think it’s best to fire them and replace them with someone else who is just as desperate for cash.
It’s challenging as a student to decide which part of your life deserves more attention.
On one hand, I’d really like more time to study and put all I have into my projects to get the best grades I can. My hard work could help me land a sweet gig later in life, and the better my grades are, the better my chances are of graduate schools opening their doors (and wallets) to me.
On the other hand, I’d really like to eat some food at some point in the next 48 hours, and for that, I’m going to need cash. Hunting-and-gathering in Tempe just doesn’t work. Balancing your time as a student can get frustrating.
It’s no wonder so many kids talk about all the rage they’re going to have by the week’s end.
Reach the columnist at jwadler@asu.edu or follow the columnist at @MrJakeWAdler.
