When I was still in college in the University of Santo Tomas (UST), I was lucky enough to get a 7am to 11am schedule, Mondays to Saturdays. From 1st year to 4th year college, that’s my schedule.
That’s why I was able to work part-time when I was in my 3rd year in college. My aunt’s husband knew a businessman who’s willing to take in an inexperienced bookkeeper. He recommended me and I was lucky enough to get a 1pm to 9pm work schedule. It was hard. But there were days when the boss would allow me to go home early. Or there were days when he would allow me to do my school work in the office or study for an exam.
I did most of the bookkeeping for the company. Up until I graduated in college. I only resigned when I had to start reviewing for the CPA Board Exams.
Doing the part-time job was a big help for me. Financially, I was able to support myself somehow. The pay was not great but more than enough to support my daily expenses at school. Career-wise, I was able to practice my profession early on. While my classmates were still pondering on the theories of Accounting, I was already applying what I learned.
But again, it was not a walk in the park. You really had to work doubly hard. Even when I felt like just going home after a brain-draining exam, I still had to go to work. When my friends were excitedly talking about going to the mall and seeing a movie, I had to squelch the envy I was feeling because I really had to go to work first.
Looking back, it was all worth it, to be honest. I learned a lot from working while studying.