By the time we’re sophomores, many students’ emails will have the “ . s” tag next to our names, indicating we’re student workers. But do we actually enjoy it? When at work, I find myself always thinking whether I actually want to be there. I make posters, write summaries and fetch printer copies. Towards the end of every shift, I ask my boss, “Anything else?” Every time I do, I think “I want to quit this mundane job,” but then I get a Chase notification from my phone with my paycheck. I think, “well, that doesn’t feel bad.” This cycle repeats itself, but it is a necessity for a college student with aspirations.

Looking back on my college experience, I realized I’ve never had a morning in the city to myself or with some friends. No café-hopping, no spontaneous walks, no long talks next to the Hudson River — none of that. Instead, I get the beeping sound of scanning papers over and over again. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love seeing my paycheck, but I don’t like sacrificing so much time for it.

The biggest issue I have with working is not the fact that I spend about 20 hours per week working, but rather that I lose time I could’ve had to give myself proper rest. My job isn’t difficult, but rather time-consuming. I know I could spend those 20 hours either catching up on schoolwork or taking a well-overdue nap. However, I find myself at work trying to earn money to fuel my hobbies, such as playing new video games, buying clothes or simply going out in the city with some friends. None of these pastimes would be possible if I didn’t work, so I’m grateful for my job.

My grades haven’t taken a real nose-dive, but it’s because I do some schoolwork when I’m at work. I got into the habit of multi-tasking, and it only adds more stress to my life, where I need to balance school, a social life, family and career opportunities for the future. Balancing these demands and the overlapping of time has been a real learning curve for me since last year. In my first year, I was doing one thing at a time, mainly spending my time on school.

I found that most of my days in my first year were spent hanging out with friends, both from home and at school, and I was still able to stay on top of my schoolwork. Things didn’t feel mundane, and I knew what was expected of me, but I wanted more. I knew that only going to class wasn’t going to cut it for what I wanted to do post-undergrad; I needed to gain some job experience or start spending my time more wisely on campus, besides maintaining a good social life.

Then I realized that I had reached the crossroads that every college student, or every “successful” college student, finds themselves at: a good career or a good experience. I chose the latter, and it’s been apparent this semester. I haven’t had a day to myself besides the few days off we get from school. I’ve been running this whole semester straight, and now I’ve gotten so drained to the point that every day feels like the same. I know it’s not just me feeling this way, but many people at Fordham University, students and faculty alike. I think we’re all craving the end of the semester so we can recharge for the next one and survive it.

So, to students thinking about working, I say this: go for it. Go for it, but be prepared for the massive time loss you’ll have. Don’t think about what you could’ve done with it; those thoughts are gonna make you want to push back from the things that’ll ultimately help you later. I’m going to use a phrase my boss used against me when I told him I willingly signed up for everything I’m doing: “You made your bed, so sleep in it.”

Gabriel Capellan, FCRH ’28, is a journalism major from the Bronx, New York.