Not for the faint of heart

Working students belong to a different breed of animal.

They waste no time. They study even if they are already tired from work. They use holidays to catch up with their deliverables and readings. They shoulder the guilt and sadness of being unable to attend important occasions. They even sometimes sacrifice relationships to give priority to other matters that they deem more important.

I personally know all these because I have been a working student for more than four years now. I have experienced and have seen my classmates experience all sorts of struggles one can think of for working students.

Most of us did not choose to work while studying. We need to work in order to survive. But we also want to study because we have dreams and goals to achieve. Knowledge, after all, is power. There are also some of us who have the choice to study full-time but opted to be a working student because they want to gain valuable work experience and/or ease the burden of their parents. I admire them for having such conviction about education.

Regardless of the reason, working students share almost the same struggles. These struggles are often so grave that they make us question the path that we chose to take. When exams are upcoming and a number of rush work outputs are in the pipeline, we feel enormous pressure. When we see our colleagues and friends live the best days of their lives while we have tons of readings, we feel left behind in life. When working on assignments and projects, we feel bad because 24 hours is often not enough to accomplish the same excellently. There will always be that feeling deep down in us that we could give more and do better if not for our limited time and energy.

Fortunately or unfortunately, even feeling those feelings may be considered a waste of time. So, after about 30 minutes of breaking down or contemplating, we will have to compose ourselves again and move on to the next book pages or work email. It is unhealthy, but it is necessary if we want to finish what we have started.

It will help to have a good support system through our family, friends, or special someone. Others also find comfort in praying to the God they believe in. Not everyone, however, has these. And even if we have them, at the end of the day before we sleep, we still find ourselves alone to face the challenges that await us the following day. We also do not always ask for the aid of our loved ones because we do not want to be a burden to anyone. We have a profound appreciation of what “burden” is that we do not want other people to experience it, especially if that involves us.

Indeed, being a working student is not for the faint of heart. It is an everyday struggle for a long period of time in the hope of having a better future despite the uncertainties in life. It is for this reason that I consider working students to be of a different breed. Many of us know this, albeit unconsciously, that when we meet other working students, we immediately bond and relate as if we already know each other for a long period of time.

If there is one thing that I have learned over the years as a working student, it is the fact that our inherent grit will help us take on practically all challenges in life. For what else can we not conquer if we have already survived grueling semesters in the academe while meeting expectations or key performance indicators at work?

We, working students, may find ourselves struggling from time to time. Even complaining or cursing about our lives in general. But I believe that we will persist anyway because of our unique determination. We do not easily give up. We constantly find effective solutions to our problems. We value efficiency because we cannot afford to goof off.

May we always have that determination in us. And if we become successful one day, I hope that we will endeavor to help build a community where all present and aspiring students have the resources and support to study without having the need to work. Because while our breed is admirable, I still believe that no student deserves to struggle so much just to learn. Education is a right that should be available to anyone who truly wants it.

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Aldrin S. Odinada, 26, works in the government while studying law at the University of the Philippines. He recently obtained his Master of Management degree from the same university.