Full time plus college?

[Tk11]

Has anyone done this? Today I got offered my first emt job. I originally applied for part time but during the interview I was asked "If I offered you full time that worked around your school schedule would that work for you?" So of course I just said yes so I don't blow the interview, not realizing I may actually get offered full time. Well I did today. And I wasn't going to decline the offer because I'm currently not working (yet) and it's an emt position for a company I really want to work for.

Thing is, I'm taking anatomy and physiology at a community college in the area. Just one class two days a week. Now I'm kind of worried about it, that I won't have time to study what I need to to pass the class. The class doesn't give homework, but I do have to study for tests. The employer does know my school schedule, so I'm hoping they won't kill me with hours will they? Has anyone ever worked full time plus managed school? How'd it go? Do you think one class plus work is manageable?

 

[teedubbyaw]

If you can't manage 1 class while working FT, then I don't know what to tell you.

 

[Tk11]

If you can't manage 1 class while working FT, then I don't know what to tell you.

Hahah ok good. I never worked while taking classes, usually because I took multiple classes not one.

 

[Chewy20]

People take 4-5 classes and work full-time. You'll be ok.

 

[RedAirplane]

It depends on your program. Where I went to college, there wasn't enough time in the day for all the work we got assigned, forget about eating, sleeping, or working.

If you've been in school for a while, make a time budget. See how much time you've had to dedicate to work, how much time you would like to keep for relaxing/decompressing, and how much time you have left. Proceed accordingly.

 

[Tigger]

I worked 25-30 hours of week while getting my undergrad and had more than enough time to have a social life as well. And for better or for worse, my classes were actually challenging for the most part.

I'm now in paramedic school and still working fulltime+ hours. We're in class 18 hours a week plus an expected 12 hours of clinical time a week as well. All told thats more hours than my undergrad was weekly. So far it's been alright.

 

[EMT2015]

This summer I took 14 units while working full time at a coffee shop. I'm now working 6 days a week and getting ready to start my school quarter of another 14 units. It is doable, you just have to be willing to put the time and effort into making it work.

 

[SunshineCamo]

It's all about time management. If you want to do both, then do it. Sit down and plan. Class from this time to this time. Work from now tell then. Study here. Sleep here. I hate to be that guy, but for half of the time I was in Paramedic school I worked full-time as an EMT, part time at a gas station, and I'm in the National Guard. And I still found time to spend with my family. Yes it was miserable but it can be done.

 

[MMiz]

You're asking others if it's possible for you to manage the workload.

I struggled to manage the EMT-Basic class while taking full time university classes and working just a few hours a week. Ultimately I completed the EMT-B class over the summer.

I applied and got a job working PRN as an EMT-Basic while working on my undergrad. It was a great experience, but in retrospect I wish I spent more time enjoying college.

It's possible, sure, but I'd make sure you have your priorities in order and put first things first.

Good luck!

 

[johnrsemt]

I did Paramedic school in 2 8 hour classes a week with 24-32 hours a week in clinicals while working 48hrs+ a week at FT job and 24-36 hours a week at PT job, (PT job paid for medic school so I didn't have a choice {not my income paying for it, but they actually paid for the class}). You can do anything that you want to.

Some people don't do well working 29 hours a week and going to school online; others can work 100+ hrs a week and do school.

 

[khaysley]

I had three full time jobs at one point while going to college.

I worked from 6am-3pm Monday-Friday at Amazon, had two different classes from 4pm-7pm Monday and Wednesday plus online classes, went in to work at White Castle 40+ hrs a wk weekdays 9pm-5am and weekends 10pm-6am and also worked at Home Instead Senior Care around my other two jobs and school most of the time working on my off days from the other jobs.

I only failed one class that semester.It had been one of my online class and I forgetten about the final exam.

You got to do what you got to do.

 

[joshrunkle35]

I am taking 6 classes: Microbiology, Physiology, Stats, Math, Psych and a Semester-Long Search and Rescue class. 3 are at Ohio State, 3 at a local community college.

I work 4 jobs. No, not all of them are full-time, but I work regularly throughout the week.

I rarely sleep or see my wife and I still get great reviews at work and straight A's.

If you can't take one class while working one full-time job, you are woefully unprepared to deal with life. What are you going to do when you are working overtime at one job towards a promotion, and working another to try to pay to put your kids through school?

 

[46Young]

My medic school, NY Methodist Paramedic Program in Brooklyn, back in 2004-2005, was two 8 hrs/day didactic, with an average of 18hrs/week of clinicals. I did that while working a 16/12/12 schedule and doing OT 8-12 hrs once a week most weeks. It sucked, but it was doable. My schedule was not rotating, and I was hospital based, so the schedule was stable.

As far as college, to complete the AAS in EMS, I would take two classes per semester, and for three of those semesters I also took VDFP Fire Officer I, Officer II, and Instructor I. That was working a 56hr/week rotating schedule, with about 80-100 hrs. of OT monthly. I'm married with kids, but it I wasn't, a third class, so maybe a total of 10-11 credits would have been fine, instead of 6-7 credits like I was doing.

I found distance learning courses to be much more work than normal classes. I guess that they need to give you more work, to ensure that you're exposed to all of the material. Distance learning is a must for those with rotating shift schedules. It's just too difficult and risky to get work exchanges, and hope to not be subject to a lengthy late call or forced OT. Exchanges can cancel on you, and exchanges also need to be repaid, typically when it's inconvenient for you. I would have went for RN by now if it were possible to do it on-line, with clinicals that were flexible to accommodate my work schedule. That doesn't exist in my region.

 

[StCEMT]

I could see a full time job being difficult to balance with a full course load, but it is by no means impossible. One class should be easy enough to handle even with a full time job, especially a class that is very related to the field you are working in. A lot of people as you see have life to balance to balance. On my end, I got medic school, a part time job that will come out to about 20 hours per week, and then athletic commitments for practice/competitions. Balance your time and just get it done.

 

[Uclabruin103]

It's in the acronym; Earn Money Studying.

Just like you've been told your whole life, anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

As for my chest puffing, I work more than 72 hours a week AND put in about 30 with Metal Gear Solid 5.