Between Books and Shifts A Student’s Fight for Balance.

Balancing Studies and Part-Time Work

Ravi was nineteen when he left his small town for the city. He had earned admission to a respected university. His parents were proud, but their pride came with worry. The city was expensive, and their family income was limited. They could send him some support, but it would not be enough for rent, food, books, and transport. Ravi understood this. He had promised himself that he would not become a heavy burden on his parents.

Within his first week in the city, he started searching for part-time work. He walked into small shops, checked notice boards on campus, and asked older students for advice. Most places wanted someone with prior experience. Ravi had none. After several rejections, he finally found an opening at a café near the university. The pay was modest, but it covered groceries and part of his rent. He accepted it without hesitation.

His classes ran from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The café shift began at 4 p.m. and ended at 9 p.m. On weekends, he often worked from morning to night. At first, it seemed manageable. He thought he could attend classes, work evenings, and study late at night. The first few weeks proved him right. He managed to stay on top of assignments, and his manager at the café praised his effort.

But balance does not remain steady without constant adjustment. By the second month, the pressure increased. Assignments grew longer, and group projects demanded late meetings. Exams drew closer, requiring longer hours of preparation. The café also became busier in the evenings. Ravi often worked past 10 p.m. Some nights he returned to his rented room and fell asleep over his textbooks.

The impact on his studies showed quickly. He missed small details in assignments. His grades on early quizzes were lower than expected. One professor asked him to stay after class. “You seem distracted,” she said. Ravi admitted that he was working part-time to cover expenses. She listened and then gave him advice. “Do what you must, but remember, exhaustion will not serve you. Balance is not about doing everything. It is about choosing what keeps you healthy.”

The words stayed with him. That night, Ravi reviewed his daily schedule. He wrote down each hour from morning to midnight. He realized he was wasting time on small things, like scrolling on his phone between classes or chatting for long breaks. He decided to cut these out. He created blocks of focused study in the early morning before lectures. Short gaps on campus turned into quick review sessions.

He also decided to speak honestly with his manager. The next day, he explained that his university work was suffering. He requested fewer weekday shifts, even if it meant less pay. The manager, who had once been a student himself, understood and adjusted the schedule. Ravi kept his weekend shifts but gained some breathing space during the week.

This change improved his routine. He was still tired, but no longer constantly drained. His grades began to recover. He submitted assignments on time again. During weekends, he woke up early to study before heading to the café. He could not afford luxury, but he managed survival.

At the same time, the café taught him lessons that the classroom could not. He learned to stay calm when customers grew impatient. He learned responsibility when handling money and orders. He saw older co-workers who supported families on the same wages he used just for survival. It gave him perspective. He began to value every coin and every hour.

By the end of the semester, Ravi had passed all his courses with respectable grades. He had not asked his parents for extra money beyond their initial support. He had endured stress, but he had also gained independence.

One night, as he closed the café, he stood outside in the quiet street and thought about the past months. He realized that balance was not a fixed state. It required constant changes, constant awareness of limits, and honesty about what could be handled. Some days would still be messy. Some assignments would not be perfect. But progress came from consistency, not from chasing perfection.

In the following semester, Ravi refined his approach further. He avoided signing up for too many extra activities on campus. He made time for friends in shorter but meaningful meetings instead of long late-night gatherings. He treated rest as part of his schedule, not as an optional break.

Years later, after graduation, Ravi would look back on those days with mixed feelings. The struggle had been real. The exhaustion had been heavy. But those experiences had shaped him. They had given him endurance, time management, and respect for every form of work. He often told younger students that surviving both studies and part-time jobs was possible, but it required discipline, sacrifice, and the courage to admit personal limits.

He had entered the city as a teenager unsure of how to manage. He left it as a graduate who understood the value of effort, balance, and responsibility.