Work-study jobs have value

Learning how to balance work and school is a challenge for many college students, including single mothers who have scholarships for college. The demands on a college student, between writing term papers and studying for final exams, can be weighty. By finding the right job and by exercising time management, mothers who need to get additional money for college through working while going to school can better approach these difficulties.

Considering work-study jobs
Instead of working off-campus, students may look into work-study employment. According to the U.S. Department of Education, these jobs, which are normally part-time, often offer financial aid for school from the college or university itself. 

The employment is often based on a student's particular course of study. This means that beside the monetary benefit of choosing work-study employment, doing so can potentially give a student valuable experience for the work that he or she may eventually do with a college degree. 

"Work-study jobs can sometimes be tied to your major or career interest. Also, colleges understand the ebb and flow of a student's life and may be more flexible when you need time to study," said Marie Bigham, a former college admissions officer, in an interview with the New York Times.

By condensing work and school together through work-study jobs, mothers can make money and advance in their future careers simultaneously. 

Balancing time, despite school challenges
Even if students can find work-study employment to help them pay for school, they still may feel the overwhelming demands of being a student. 

Extremely ambitious students often make up a college atmosphere, according to USA Today. This can create pressure aside from the pre-existing challenges of trying to meet course requirements. 

"There's always the option of dropping things, but when you go to these competitive schools, or maybe any school, I don't know, you feel like a cop out if you drop an activity," Yale University student Ellie Dupler told USA Today.

Despite this pressure, students might remember to leave themselves time to focus on other parts of their lives. Ernesto Villasenor, a student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, told USA Today that though he has a heavy course-load, he makes sure to save time for his friends and family. 

For those individuals who work in addition to going to school, finding this time may be even more challenging. Yet by finding beneficial work-study employment that adheres to students' class schedules, they may be able to meet their various life demands. 

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