Are you looking forward to the money you’ll earn from your first job? Have you just started working? If you’re wondering how to balance work and school, this article is for you!
In Quebec, many businesses are open to hiring students. This may be to your advantage because you’ll have lots of options available. However, there are some very important things to keep in mind before you sign your employment contract. Employers that support student retention commit to doing the following:
- Making sure that the work schedule is adapted to your needs
- Allowing enough rest time between a work shift and the school day
- Encouraging students to stay in school until they have earned their degree or certification
- Having processes in place to give you feedback on your work-study balance
- Telling you what they are doing to support student retention and what student retention means to them
All five of the actions listed above are included in the charter for student retention (link in French). More and more employers in the province have signed the charter. So, when it comes time to decide whether to accept a job offer, it’s a good idea to ask the employer if they’ve signed the charter. If a company you’re applying to doesn’t care about your academic needs and goals, that’s a red flag!
You should also make sure the business you’re working for complies with labour standards for pay and the workplace equity, health, and safety standards set by the CNESST (link in French).
According to the Education Act, your employer is required to make sure that your work schedule does not interfere with your attendance in class. You can’t work during school hours if either of the following is true:
- You are under 16 years old and do not have your high school diploma.
- You turn 16 during the school year. (You have to stay in school until the last day of the academic year during which you turn 16.)
Once you have a job, you’ll have extra responsibilities on your plate. That means you’ll need to get organized. One good way to manage your time is to plan out a weekly routine with time set aside for everything you need to do—including downtime. Note that students should ideally work for no more than 17 hours a week. There are 168 hours in a week. Here is an example of how you can allot your time:
- Sleep and rest: 60 hours
- School: 30 hours
- Meals and personal care: 23 hours
- Hobbies, sports, friends, and family: 23 hours
- Your job: 15 hours
- Studying and schoolwork: 12 hours
- Transportation: 5 hours
You can use this time management tool (available in French only) to set and check your weekly schedule. Next, colour-code your time blocks in a planner or on a calendar. This will help you keep track of how you’re spending your time and allow you to build a work routine.
Getting a job has many benefits. You’ll have the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the job market, figure out your professional interests, and gain recognition and financial independence. However, there are also potential drawbacks that you should be aware of:
- Less time for studying and schoolwork
- Fatigue or stress
- Feeling less focused or motivated at school
- Changes in your diet or sleep quality
- Etc.
To prevent your experience from turning sour, put your mental and physical health first. Set limits based on what you can reasonably handle so you can maintain a balance between work and school.
To check whether you have a healthy work-study balance, you can complete this questionnaire (available in French only). At the end, you’ll get a personalized report with lots of tips and resources for taking care of your overall health based on your specific situation! Don’t hesitate to ask for help from a family member or a specialist if work is interfering with your studies. Also, other resources for guidance and emotional support are available, such as Tel-jeunes.
Even if you’ve landed a super interesting, challenging, and well-paying job (and we hope you will!), you might start to wonder whether it’s important to stay in school. That’s totally normal, and it can happen at any point in your education. But there are very good reasons to get your DES. Here are some things to consider:
- High school graduates make $7,000 more every year and are two times less likely to be unemployed.
- High school graduates are more active in their communities and are three times less likely to serve time in prison.
- High school graduates have better physical and mental health and live around seven years longer compared to people who drop out.
Staying in school will help you build self-esteem, achieve your career goals, get interesting and better-paying jobs, feel a sense of pride, and flourish as a citizen. With a degree in hand, more exciting jobs are available to you!