By Erica Roa, March 5, 2024
Whether it is physical or mental labor, the students at Cal Poly Pomona are continuing to strain themselves with work and their academic studies. Students at CPP are not just students but also members of the work force trying to achieve their goals while facing financial responsibilities, social lives, and mental health.
The average cost per year for a CPP undergraduate student is in the range of $25,000 to $35,000 per year, depending on the student and their living situation according to the CPP website. This amount does not include extracurriculars such as entertainment and social expenses, leaving a large gap for students to fill.
The tireless days, identity crisis, lonesome study hours all plague college students every year, yet it is shown the true sacrifice and ambition it takes to earn a degree, while being a full-time adult
Tony Wang is a business student at CPP who works at a mechanic shop in Ontario, California.
“Most days I go to class and go to work or vice versa and I’m exhausted throughout the day making it even harder to do anything especially at school,” said Wang.
With tuition costs rising 6% each year for the next five years, the striving for financial stability for college students demands hard work. Students have no choice but to have an accelerated level of drive to work harder and support themselves through their education.
According to the national center for education, 74% of part time undergraduate students are employed and 40% of full-time students are employed. An article by US news explains that despite juggling school and work students still are unable to afford their tuition costs most of the time. With programs such as work-study students are encouraged to balance both but with no financial wiggle room it becomes complex. Students can only work 20 hours or less part time, and more than 20 hours full time according to the CPP website, leaving students scrounging for ways to earn money.
Students can also apply for more scholarship opportunities. CPP offers more than 400 scholarship opportunities according to the financial aid and scholarship portion of them website. Students can apply by submitting a general application essay. Scholarships are due in the spring and awarded based on individual scholarship requirements.
“Being a full-time student and working at the same time gets in the way of me devoting all my attention on school, but if I didn’t have a job I could not stay on top of my bills as well as my student loans,” Wang explained.
The level of physical labor differs from student to student. While some jobs may be strenuous on the body, some are also mentally demanding, causing students to feel drained when trying to complete everyday tasks.
“I was raised in a household where I was taught to work hard for the things that I want, working everyday continuously, is wearing on not only my physical but my mental health, but I have to reach my goal somehow,” said Wang.
Students also claim to feel disconnected from their social lives, attempting to juggle school, work and family life. In managing these aspects there is often no seat at the table for a social life.
“I try to go out and have fun but by the time the weekends come, I am so exhausted from my weekly tasks I do not even feel like going out. “Explained Wang.
Wang like many students suffers from the lasting impacts of burnout.
“Then it becomes a cycle and I feel like I am wasting my 20s,” said Wang.
Despite being stretched thin, students like history student Jeremy Kuettle take it as a learning opportunity.
“In being someone who works 42 hours a week at Honda and goes to school on my days off, it is definitely tiresome, my workload is more than most of my peers, and I am left with a strict schedule,” said Kuettle.
Mindset is important for Kuettle in managing his time as he creates a sense of intentionality and gains the positive out of the situation.
“I try to make the best of it, yes I may not be able to go out every weekend like some of my friends but in the end, I am gaining discipline with my time and being intentional,” said Kuettle.
Kuettle took the positive aspects of his situation to understand how his growth can improve.
“Despite my complicated schedule and the energy, it takes, the major outcome of it all is balancing the two has forced me to be intentional with my time,” said Kuettle.
Kuettle aims to complete his degree in spring, relieving him of his complex schedule.
“In having small windows of time being flexible has shown me that yes, maybe some assignments actually can get done in just an hour and it has helped me grow,” said Kuettle.
Natalia Sandoval is a business student and works part time at Stater Bros. Markets while enrolled full-time at CPP.
“If I had the privilege of being a full-time student and only that, I would, but my responsibilities overlap with my schooling,” said Sandoval.
Sandoval spends her time devoted to her schoolwork and necessities, but she yearns for more time with friends on the weekends and for summer break.
“I am a very social person, going out and meeting people especially going to concerts and festivals is what really makes me happy, but when school is in session all of that goes out the window,” said Sandoval.
Sandoval is one of the many students who experiences increased levels of anxiety and stress due to her unpredictable schedule.
“It’s a pattern of work, school and helping take care of my little sister, but sometimes it feels like I am not feeding my soul,” said Sandoval. “My happiness is put to the side to sacrifice for my degree, and I’m sure many other students feel the same,” said Sandoval.
Like many students, Sandoval feels as if she is being pulled from every direction, if there is too much attention to one aspect of her life then the other needs to be tended to.
“Some days I barely have time to eat, I am constantly on a time frame whether it’s getting to class or getting to work before or after, but it is a sacrifice I have to make to afford my degree and my everyday bills,” said Sandoval.
Feature image courtesy of Darren Loo