College schedules aren’t always easy and can sometimes get hectic.  At Seward County Community College, students have their set classes to go to everyday.

On top of classes, there are student athletes who have practices and games to attend and other students who also have jobs. Everyone’s schedule is different.

Sophomore, Magali Castaneda, made sure to schedule her classes with breaks this semester.

“My first year of college was kind of stressful with work and having class after class. Having breaks between classes is an easy way to have some work time between classes,” Castaneda mentioned.

On her breaks, Castaneda catches up on homework or organizes her notes from the class before. Staying organized is helpful with time management.

According to USA TODAY, staying organized is one of the steps to being a successful college student: “Organization is the key to succeeding as a busy college student.”

Being a college student and having a job can sometimes become time consuming.

“There are times where I have to go to work before classes, between classes and after classes in one day, so I don’t get a break until I’m done with my shift at work,” Castaneda said.

After work, Castaneda still has a 30 minute drive home just like many other students.

Like Castaneda, freshman Emireth Monarrez is adjusting to her school and work schedule and making sure to get everything done.

At one point, Monarrez was balancing four jobs and school. Three of the four jobs were on campus and she was only allowed two.

Gallery • 2 Photos

Angel Meza

Freshman, Hegel Augustine, prepares to write a journal essay for his English Comp 1 class. Athletes can have crazy schedules due to practice and games. Men's basketball combats this with mandatory study halls.

“On Mondays I come to school at 9 a.m. for chemistry lecture and at 10 a.m., my first year seminar class begins. I work for Myron Perry for about an hour after my morning classes,” Monarrez mentioned. 

“After work I grab some lunch and come back to school for my 1 p.m. computer class. Once my class is over, I either get to go home or go to work for summer research. In the evenings, I drive to Plains for CNA classes which are from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.,” Monarrez said.

This is just a quick insight of Monarrez’s schedule, but she has so much more throughout her week.

USA TODAY College states that two more steps to becoming a successful college student are knowing how to prioritize and managing stress.

Carlos Hernandez made sure to put his classes first when enrolling this semester. Hernandez made sure to schedule his classes with time to get school work done.

Hernandez has a busy schedule with classes and work, but having a job on campus makes it easier. On Mondays, Hernandez is in classes from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. His days off work are Mondays and Tuesdays.

On Wednesdays and Thursdays, Hernandez works the midnight shifts, on Fridays he works from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. and on Saturday and Sunday, he works from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.

“My work schedule works really good with my class schedule and my teachers are really helpful so I’m not really stressed at all,” Hernandez said.

On days that Hernandez has class and work he mentioned that he really doesn’t eat full course meals: “I just snack when I can.”

For anyone feeling stressed, USA TODAY College suggests to “consider reaching out to a close family member, friend or college counselor to help you work through these challenges so you can come back to your tasks refreshed and feeling strong.”

Although college schedules are an adjustment, they are in a key to being successful in the future.