Holding down a part-time job

[anotherbusybee]

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Hi all, I know that there are many opinion about this, and I've read a lot of them in the past. However, I want to start a fresh thread because times have REALLY changed economically, and student loans are probably at their historical worst.

So, it's a pretty basic question, but I want to hear from fresh voices:
How is it holding a part-time job during veterinary school? i.e. hours?
Was it doable during Year 1? Year 2? etc..?
Was the extra cash worth it, or would you rather have spent your time studying (albeit to the tune of more LOANS!!)?

 

[katryn]

I think it is definitely doable depending on the person. People who don't study well, and therefore have to study longer will have a harder time with it. I liked having the extra money, but it didn't make a significant difference in my loans. I worked more because it gave me a break from school. I worked 5-10 hours a week (more over holidays) for the first three semesters. I think it would have been very easy to sustain all the way through 3rd year if I hadn't had a baby.

 

[cowgirla]

I think it is definitely doable depending on the person. People who don't study well, and therefore have to study longer will have a harder time with it. I liked having the extra money, but it didn't make a significant difference in my loans. I worked more because it gave me a break from school. I worked 5-10 hours a week (more over holidays) for the first three semesters. I think it would have been very easy to sustain all the way through 3rd year if I hadn't had a baby.

This.
It was mostly money for going out and other fun things. Sometimes it covered my internet and part of my cell phone billsl, which was a help but it wasn't enough that I was willing to depend on it and take fewer loans out.

I'm definitely feeling the pinch in fourth year now that I don't have time to work

I had a job in the school working every other weekend during the school year, more in the summer/breaks. Pay was crap but I got to know a lot of the residents and clinicians really well plus a general "hey, that's where they keep that random object" knowledge. Also worked on my own training horses for a while, which was awesome pay + super flexible hours + fun stress relief.

 

[JaynaAli]

I agree with the other posts. I work 10 hours a week in my school's pathology lab, nights and weekends. I use the money for groceries and just general "spending money." It doesn't really affect my loan amounts. Working during first year was hard but I don't regret doing it. In hindsight perhaps I could have improved my grades a little, but probably not significantly. Working during second year was quite a bit easier...probably because I learned how to study well during first year.

 

[GreennWhite]

I worked at the vet school - I had an on-call job during the school year and they allowed me to work nearly full time during breaks. For me, this made a noticeable difference in my loans. I was able to live in a 2 bedroom duplex by myself and not pull out any extra in loans. A few times it interfered with studying and grades (being on-call the night before an exam isn't very helpful) but I still think it was worth it. My sanity (no roommates) is worth a lot to me. It was something different to do to break up the monotony of the first 3 years and I got to know most of the clinicians and staff, and know my way around the hospital pretty well, which is making 4th year a smoother transition.

 

[anotherbusybee]

Thanks for the replies! I'm actually looking to do a job outside of the vet school (and maybe vet medicine) because that's probably how I'd keep my sanity. I've been working since I was legally able to, so holding a job and doing school isn't new. I think it'll be doable, as long as I keep my hours low... I'd really like extra grocery money

 

[chickenlittle]

I taught GRE & SAT prep classes for The Princeton Review all four years of vet school and LOOOOVED it. Scheduling was flexible (they'd post a course schedule at the beginning of the semester and you'd sign up for the courses you wanted to teach), so it was practical even on clinics because I could limit myself to only teaching, for example, Saturday evening classes on rotations that I knew would not include heavy on-call duty. The pay was well worth it and I enjoyed being forced to take a break from studying 🙂 I worked anywhere from 0-15 hrs/wk (usually 6-9 hours was an average week) and it was completely manageable.

 

[Bearby]

Thanks for the replies! I'm actually looking to do a job outside of the vet school (and maybe vet medicine) because that's probably how I'd keep my sanity. I've been working since I was legally able to, so holding a job and doing school isn't new. I think it'll be doable, as long as I keep my hours low... I'd really like extra grocery money

I work when I can. I actually have a job at a vet clinic in town that is super flexible with me. It's great because sometimes when you are always in the vet school, you lose sight of what real practice is like. Honestly, if I had to work at a university or big referral hospital, I would go crazy.

Like everyone said, it's not much money, enough for a tank of gas or a couple of nights out on the town, but I enjoy it so it doesn't even matter.

 

[david594]

Was the extra cash worth it, or would you rather have spent your time studying (albeit to the tune of more LOANS!!)?

I worked part time at a local ER clinic from first year until I started clinics and felt it was totally a worthwhile experience. The pay was poor but some of the Doctors loved to teach and as such I learned a ton there. The more chances you have to see cases the better. Clinics is pretty short and when I think back on previous cases I've seen, many of them were when I was a tech/student.

 

[nyanko]

I worked 2 jobs at the school and reffed for local ice hockey leagues during my first 3 years of vet school. It helped to make up the difference between the max direct loans I could get and my actual cost of living, so I never had to take out a PLUS or private loan, at least.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I got a research job that let me work whenever I felt like it, which was really nice! It also made me much more competitive for scholarships that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise, and that's where it helped a ton. Wages plus scholarships combined essentially paid for all of my expenses outside of tuition.

I also did an online tutoring job, but I quit that after a few months because it was soooo not worth it.