By Emma Reagan, Staff Writer
With the high cost of living and the never-ending increase in gas prices, everyday Americans are struggling to make ends meet. Many individuals I know are overworked and overwhelmed; they barely make it. Students have to deal with these cost-of-living strains on top of their academic stress. Many of us, myself included, are juggling jobs on top of classes. I know from experience that this level of work can feel overwhelming.
I am taking 13 credit hours, which means I spend 13 hours of my week either attending lectures or watching them online. It is expected to spend roughly two hours a week per credit hour studying or doing homework. This would mean I spend roughly 26 hours a week studying. In addition to my school workload, I am working an average of 15 hours per week. Adding everything up, I am spending 52 hours per week on work or school. This does not include clubs, volunteering, and meetings that also consume my week. For the average person, these hours are difficult to manage.
In an interview with Rylee Bowerman, a Pellissippi State Community College student who works at the front desk in the Tutoring Center of Pellissippi State, we discussed the realities of work-life balance as a student. Working on campus has provided Rylee the opportunity to study while at work.
“It makes it so much easier having this job because I used to have a regular retail job and it was so much harder,” Rylee said when comparing this on-campus job to previous jobs.
Meeting deadlines and having a good work-life balance was more difficult for Rylee in her retail job. Rylee explained that her on-campus job has allowed her to have a more realistic work schedule as a student.
When professors hear that their students are working, they may not understand the impact that has on them. Unlike Rylee, most students do not have the opportunity to study at work. This means that they are likely spending 50 hours or more on work and school per week.
One may think that this calculation is unfair; students can have separate lives from work and school. However, that is an unfair argument, as school is a demanding commitment expected to be the priority in a student’s life. Not to mention, many students are struggling to make ends meet, whether FAFSA legitimizes their struggles or not.
While college is supposed to be hard, it should not be something that causes one’s life to fall apart. It is not that students cannot handle the stress of a college workload; it is that they cannot handle it on top of everything else.
If you are struggling financially, there are resources at Pellissippi State that can help you. You can look at the Pellissippi State website and find everything you need to know under the Student Care and Advocacy tab. You can also visit the Student Care and Advocacy office Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
America’s economy has made it impossible for students to focus solely on school. According to the Urban Institute in October 2026, 49 percent of American families do not have economic security. This could be why college students are having to make it financially on their own. Because so many families are struggling financially, it is possible that fewer people can help their kids pay for college. When students are overworked, they have less time, let alone energy, to spend studying. This can make it difficult to meet the expectations of college.
Before you begin to judge someone, I encourage you to consider what they may be going through. It may be a while until we can fix these issues in our culture, so the best thing we can do in the meantime is smile, be kind, and help people when we can.
