(BLACK PRWIRE)(FAMU-TALLAHASSEE)( June 9, 2009) - - College students have many priorities. Education should be the main concern for every student, but for some, working to pay bills is a must. “I work not only to pay my bills but because it helps me learn to provide for myself and it teaches me responsibility,” said Tiffany Marshall, 22, a senior psychology/criminal justice student at Florida A & M University in Tallahassee, FL. 

Teachers and professors can give heavy workloads and cause students to stress due to time constraints and job obligations. “Students who work should remember their number one and most important job is to be a student,” said Carol Motley, a marketing professor at FAMU’s School of Business & Industry. Motley said she lends some helpful information for students. “Research indicates that for every hour of class, one should spend two hours of preparation,” she said. 

Some local employers said they are understanding of students’ demands and take preventative measures to accommodate them. “I’ll let them know I’ll schedule them less often, or I have them fill out a preferred schedule,” said Nathan Allen, a Ruby Tuesday restaurant manager at the West Tennessee Street location in Tallahassee. 

Allen suggests students maintain responsibilities and a sense of balance. “I know social lives are important to today’s youth, but studying hard and being a dedicated employee will get you farther than hanging out with friends. If you build good time management skills while young it will carry over to your career.”