On the job

CEBU, Philippines - We see them calm at work and, knowing that they are working students, we wonder how they manage their time between doing well at their jobs and maintaining certain grade requirements in their studies.

Mey Melencion, 19, a third year psychology student and a library assistant at St. Theresa’s College (STC), works four hours in six days per week. Add to this is the requirement to maintain a certain grade and enroll only for 21 units per semester. In exchange, she gets free tuition.

Melencion compares her life to a book, which contains ups and downs. Growing up in a community with people who keeps discouraging her and telling her, “Wala’y madato sa pag eskwela, mas maayo pa ang mahimong katabang” (Nobody gets rich studying; it’s better to be a housemaid) did not stop her from believing that education is the key to her personal success. “It is one of the things that cannot be taken away me,” she said.

Her conviction was tested when her father got sick at a time she was about to start college life. Her father’s illness affected their family income, forcing Melencion to decide whether or not to pursue her studies. Determined, she asked her sister to look for scholarship programs. She eventually landed as a working student at STC.

“As they say, if there’s a will, there’s a way. There are many opportunities to achieve your dreams. All you need is perseverance. Always keep in mind that success without perseverance and sacrifice is impossible to achieve,” Melencion shared.

Like Melencion, Ma. Lourdes Lauchengco, 20, is another working student who values education. She is a fourth year business administration student at the University of the Philippines and works as a fast food service clerk at McDonald’s.

She is found working six hours for five days in a week, standing near the cash registers with her big smile and greeting her customers, “Good morning, Sir! Good morning, Ma’am! Welcome to McDonald’s! May I take your order?”

“I am the eldest in the family. I wanted to experience working know what it feels like to work and for me not to rely on my parents. I wanted to experience having my own money and providing myself with my own allowance,” Lauchengco explained.

She admitted that there were times when she had only about three hours of sleep before going to school, adding that her work barely allows her to join in school activities. Eventually, after seven months, she quit to pursue her studies.

“For me, finishing my studies is a much bigger dream and requires focus,” she pointed out.

She still considered working part-time as a great experience.

“It helped me learn new things that cannot be learned from the books. It exposed me to a real competitive working environment and taught me how to deal with different kinds of people,” she shared.

Jo Ann Ramos, 18, a third year psychology student at STC, took the part-time job as a tutor. Ramos, currently vice-president at the College Student Council, has been tutoring for three years. At present, she tutors two Grade 7 students for one hour and 15 minutes every school day.

What started as a challenge issued as a joke turned into an opportunity for Ramos to earn and, in the process, help her parents.

“Managing time for me is not easy. I have to manage my time by utilizing my vacant time making projects and council-related duties,” Ramos shared.

She thinks that leadership duties, her tutorial sessions, and her studies are important. But when asked which of the three is her first priority. She then answered, “My studies, no doubt.”

Ramos admitted of some days when she crammed not because of how busy she is as a student, leader, and tutor, but because of procrastination.

She advised other students to know their priorities.

“Don’t be a jack of all trades and a master of none. Weigh things first because it is not the number of involvement you have that makes you amazing but it’s how well you do something. Try to check yourself, the consequences, and sacrifices involved for you to know your limits and determine to what extent you can commit yourself,” she said.

According to Rechel Tupas, student activity coordinator of STC (and formerly a student assistant), working students have a bigger advantage to excel and land a better job opportunity.

“They are flexible enough in dealing with different kinds of people, know how to manage their time and priorities, have experience or practiced professionalism and have social relations that can help a lot as a reference in their resumes,” she elucidated.

Jean Martinez, a company administrator who has dealt with working students observed that they are productive. “They are still young; they possess creativity and fresh ideas. Hard work is not alien to working students,” she said.

Melencion, Lauchengco, and Ramos shared these tips on managing your time should you decide to work part-time while studying:

• Organize your time. Make a list of all the things you need to do. Start with your class schedule and add in your work schedule.

• Write information from your list. It is much easier if you put reminders so that you would not be late for anything.

• If you have conflicts in your schedule, you have to decide which is more important. Your top priority is your classes, so you have to reschedule or cancel anything that conflicts with your class. Work should be your third priority.

• Talk to your boss if your work conflicts with your schoolwork.

• Keep a close eye on your calendar. Never miss to watch your calendar for you not to miss anything. You can also put reminders on your phone. (FREEMAN)