A Job With Flexibility

by Holly
(Minnesota)

When I was in high school I took a Certified Nursing/Home Health Aide Course. Because I was too young to work in a nursing home facility, my first job was as a Home Health Aide. Now that I am in college I have been able to continue working as a Home Health Aide.

My class schedule changes about every six weeks so working as a Home Health Aide allows me to have a lot of flexibility. When my schedule changes I am able to let the company I work through know and they are able to place me with a new client that works around my school schedule. I am able to work as many or as few of hours as I feel will work for me and still allow me enough time to study. It allows me to pick up extra clients during school breaks or holidays for extra money.

Another benefit is some of my clients do not need a lot of care but they can't be left home alone; at these clients there are times when I have the opportunity to work on homework. I have thought about trying a different type of job while in college just to have different experiences but I love the flexibility that I have with being a Home Health Aide and also enjoy the people I have met.

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Comment from your friendly team at College Financial Aid Advice

Thank you Holly for sharing your story about a job with flexibility as a home health aide. It sounds like it gives you a lot of flexibility for your hours and some extra time to study while helping others. What a great idea. Thanks for sharing it.

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No Hurry, No Worry!!

by Courtney
(Cassadaga, Fl)

Sometimes you just have to make your own reality. I figured that money was not going just drop out of the trees just for me so I decided I needed a plan. So I looked around and decided that lawn care was a good bet and this could be done on my time. I took 3 x 5 unlined cards, glued on a picture I got out of a magazine of high grass from a field, printed "Lawn Care", my name and number and my price. I made about twenty of these cards. It was so much fun making the cards that I just knew that whoever saw them would laugh.

Well, I can tell you that I did quite well. After I finished the lawn, I would go up to the door with a tiny bouquet that I had made from moss, twigs, grass cuttings, whatever I could find and hand them to the lady. Believe me, that wins them over every time. I always left with a sizable tip. If nobody was home, I left my bouquet with a self addressed stamped envelope. I always did a great job and gave them something unexpected. So I got repeat business.

I mean lawn care folks are all over the place but if you put your mind to it you can make it worthwhile. I was getting quite a few checks in the mailbox almost daily. So add that up. At twenty dollars a job, I was clearing about five hundred dollars a week. That is counting the tips minus the gas for the mower. I also bought heavy duty garbage bags at the dollar store; if I needed them, I was always prepared. If I noticed something that I felt the owner needed to know, I wrote it on a card and attached it to the envelope and tiny bouquet.

I also found things at the dollar store and thrift stores that were funny, sometimes timely, seasonal. I have a little basket where I keep all these little gems. A person just never knows when a little ceramic kitten is needed to make another person smile. You see I had a plan. I didn't rush through each job. I took my time, I listened to what my customer expected from me and I always did more than they expected. Their yard was important to them and it was the first thing other people saw. Rather than looking at it as a job, I felt that it was more like a creative expression. So I didn't feel tired afterwards; I felt good.

I know that anybody who really wants an education can find their own individual way of achieving it. I forgot to mention that I am 30 % disabled and had a craniotomy last year. I have short term memory and very emotional; thus I can't keep a regular job. But I decided "No hurry, No worry." I can do this. I just needed a plan. My plan worked. I challenge you to make a plan. Sometimes you have to make adjustments; sometimes you have to change your plan. Just do it.
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Comment from your friendly team at College Financial Aid Advice

Thank you Courtney for sharing your No Hurry, No Worry student job. I love that you made your own successful business by understanding your customer and treating them with kindness. Best of luck to you.

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Do What You Enjoy

by Kristen Sypolt
(Colorado Springs, CO USA)

High school was fun, worries extended to what clothes you would wear and your parents told you what to do. Now as an adult we are faced with responsibilities on a daily basis. College is no exception, no one holding your hand while gently guiding you what to do and what choices to make. That is why I feel the need to choose a job while going to college should be an enjoyable one.

I personally love working with animals. They are extremely calming, quiet and understanding. They leave you alone when they feel your are tense and snuggle when you are doing homework. Going for a walk outside and getting fresh air with a furry creature is relaxing, perhaps if you try to envision life the way they do with such curiosity… This brings on a sense of ease, a welcomed detachment from the stressful world we live in, and wonderful simplicity. What is something that you find simple enjoyment and relaxation in? Perhaps teaching a part time yoga class, or indulging in photography as a photographers assistant? I find the gym to also be a great place of relaxation, yet at the same time to be extremely invigorating. This would also be a wonderful place to get in touch with motivational energies and be inspired by others that are eager to better themselves and their lives.

I believe being cultured and inspired on a daily basis is an extremely important role in motivating and enriching our lives. Sometimes stepping outside of our individual, routine box can be exactly what the doctor ordered. Work at a local thrift shop, see how people live and what people throw away. Help abandoned animals recover and find homes at a local shelter. Foster animals if this suits you, even. Just do not let your dog eat your homework …

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Comment from your friendly team at College Financial Aid Advice

Thank you Kristen for reminding everyone to do what you enjoy. It makes work a pleasure. Good luck to you.

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