Securing a job in their own field is important for students. Many aspire to part-time employment while studying, hoping to earn extra income and gain experience. However, I’ve found combining study and work challenging, which is why I’ve determined that the best approach for me is to work full-time during summers and focus on studying during the academic year.
Studying and working share similarities, as both involve applying knowledge in the same field and learning new things. Nevertheless, switching between them can be mentally puzzling. Working requires a different mindset compared to studying, as the focus is on different aspects. At work, I aim for thoroughness and quality, whereas when studying, I optimise my time and effort spent on tasks. Additionally, the environments for work and study are entirely different, reflected in the people and conversational culture.
I started my first summer job at Mipro two years ago. As a full-time student, it has been essential for me that my employer accommodates my daily needs. This flexibility has allowed me to maintain my employment for these two years, even though I only work during the summers. Working remotely has provided significant freedom and allowed for more flexible schedules. The tasks I’ve handled have been appropriately challenging, and I feel I’ve learned a great deal over the past two years.
The most significant difference between studying and work that has emerged from the pandemic years is the trend toward remote work. This trend is evident in office culture. When working remotely, I often find myself missing colleagues of my own age and craving more social interaction. I think the team would benefit from occasional in-person days, allowing us to meet face-to-face and get to know each other beyond the screen. Additionally, more social events at the office would foster better conversational culture among employees.
Balancing work and study can be challenging, but it’s also highly rewarding. Finding the right balance and efficiently utilising available time are crucial. Good time management, clear goals, and a flexible mindset are key when striving for success in both areas. Support from both the workplace and university significantly eases this balancing act. Despite potential challenges, combining work and study provides an opportunity for professional and personal growth, opening doors to new and exciting career prospects. Those seeking work alongside their studies should confidently reach out to Mipro—our website’s application forms make it easy!
Author
Joonatan Korpela
Software Developer
I’m Joonatan, a third-year computer science student at Aalto University. I work at Mipro as a software developer in the Platform team, where I develop web applications using React and web infrastructure with Terraform.
