Too Blessed to be Stressed

   A renowned playwright once asked "to be or not to be," in his ever so famous Hamlet.  The question I am asking this morning is not "to be or not to be," but rather "to have or not to have."  More specifically, I am referring to having a job while balancing a full-load of college courses.

    You may have noticed I have been absent throughout this past week, a little bit longer of a break between posts than usual.  This absence is not due to forgetfulness or carelessness but to lack of time.  I am a usually busy girl.  I tend to over-schedule because I enjoy keeping busy rather than being bored and lost as to what to do with my free time.  Lucky to have found my calling in Design and Merchandising at Drexel and retail at Loft, I throw myself into any and all opportunities I receive because I know they are not work to me but what makes me happy.  This quarter these opportunities include 20 credits of classes at Drexel, approximately 20 hours a week at Loft, and a fellowship branding two start-up companies with little to no branding background, adding up to about more hours in a week than given, leaving me with approximately -10 hours of time to myself.

   This is in no way a complaint.  As I stated before, these are viewed as opportunities and gifts, not work.  I love what I do and prefer a busy schedule.  However, over the past week or two, I have noticed a change in my attitude and perspective.  In the past, pushing myself and scheduling more than I have time for has put my health at risk, leaving my parents to worry and warn me to only do the bare minimum.  I have always ignored their warnings, but this is the first time I have felt what they've said and bought into it, knowing I need a change in my lifestyle.  Even when busy before, I always found at least 10 minutes a day to myself.  Sure, I had busy days where that was not as easy to fit in, but as a whole,  I found some downtime during the week.  Over time, I have noticed that I know longer have this.  I am pushing myself too much, taking on too much, and overall feeling more overwhelmed than I ever have (which is saying a lot).  I was positive the day would not come where I agreed with my parents' beliefs on my scheduling.

   Back to the question at hand--to have [a job while a student] or not to have [a job while a student]?  I have had a job since I was 14.  I value work, I appreciate work, and I strongly believe it builds character, an eager work ethic, and financial skills.  Being such an avid supporter of having a part-time job while being a student, I, only naturally, have been shocked in the past (both in high school and college) by comments made my peers regarding having a job.  "Ugh, I might have to get a job," and "I don't have time for that," are phrases I have heard regularly, as if they were being asked to scrub mold off of a dirty floor with a toothbrush Cinderella-style.  I stand by my beliefs and have argued that to peers.  "I cannot imagine not having a job.  I have had one since I was young, and it has built my work ethic throughout the years," I say to them, proving a job does not have to be work with the right outlook.  It is a privilege to learn.

   So finally, to answer our question, I think you can guess where I stand.  Despite finding myself overwhelmingly busy, I know it is essential to building a good balance in life, another critical skill to have.  Despite hearing numerous times from friends and family that I may be working too much or that having a job while taking a full load of college courses is unrealistic, I stand by the choice--or chance--to have a job.  I may be overwhelmed this quarter, but this is no way indicates that I need to quit my job.  Instead I am able to scale back on hours and have learned the hard way to appreciate my personal time off and create a better balance than I currently have.  Working while college is not way easy but it has given me opportunities that others will not have, such as networking, a regular paycheck, and intense understanding of retail.  With that I leave you one of my favorite phrases: "too blessed to be stressed," and that sums up my thoughts regarding working while in school.