If you're putting yourself through college (which I was at one point) you can't schedule your work around your classes, you have to scedule your class around work.
The way I worked it for a semester was working 10-4 Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon-Wed. On Mon and Wed I went to one class in the evenings. On Tue. and Thur. when I didn't work I went to school at 7am and didn't get home till nearly 9pm. I never had a day off.
I've worked at various resturants and at one my job was to filter through applications that got dropped off. Anyone who had a very picky schedule, be that college, another job what have you got thrown away and never even seen by a manager. The same when I worked at Wal-Mart, they refused to work around a schedule. In most entry level jobs you're required to be very flexable because those with senority get to be picky, your job is to come in and work whatever wonky hours they want to give you.
And on that note, I worked for Applebee's for four years. I can't count the number of college grads I worked with. At my most recent store I worked with two people with bach. degrees, one with a graduate and one with a masters believe it or not. All of them worked waiting tables because they couldn't find a better paying job, degree or no. You'd be suprised how much of the 'skill less' work force have educations, how many work their tails off to pay those student loans they thought they'd have a good paying job to pay off. You'd also be suprised how much money a non-educated person can pull in, how many jobs offer great training programs in their fields that open up six figure jobs after a few years climbing the ladder. It is possible to be 'over qualified' for certain jobs. That was one of the problems that my friend with the masters degree had, she couldn't find a job in her field (forget what it was at the moment, English Lit? Something along those lines) and had a problem getting jobs in other fields when her training was discovered. She guessed that people didn't want to hire her thinking that she'd request more money or be leaving the company to persue her career when it opened up. When really she was just trying to pay her loans and feed her daughter.
One of my best friends in Chicago had a bach. degree in history, she worked waiting tables at Applebee's to pay off loans (she went to an expensive school believing that it would give her the best education and the so the best jobs). Her husband was a year older than her, only had a high school diploma and was making pretty good money. He got a promotion while I knew her well that allowed her to quit resturant work and stay at home. She has a few good words to say about the job market
Certain fields are flooded with people with degrees, all needing entry positions and some just aren't that in demand. If you pick the right field, get educated and find a niche in the job market that really needs people like you you'll get a great job. If you're part of a very popular program, well all of your class mates are going to be your job competion down the road, as well as the people in the same program as the various other colleges in your area.
Wow I just wrote too much....
