Every year many college students are faced with the difficult task of juggling academics and employment. Despite attempts to balance their time and schedules, school is usually put on the back burner.

Barbara Bekis of the educational support program in Nashville said work almost always takes priority over college study. She said academics are third to work and a social life.

"Some students experienced working full-time in high school and doing fine on their grades," Bekis said. "They expect to be able to continue working full-time in college and make good grades. Usually that doesn't happen. Working more than 20 hours per week requires a student to be really good at self-management."

Senior Judith Hill is a full-time employee at Town and Country Cleaner in Union City and on an average, she pulls in more than 30 hours a week.

However, she said although school comes first it's easy to get lazy.

"It's really hard to get motivated to do school work because you're tired all of the time," Hill said. "I would love to be able to just live off my parents and never have to work. But I need money. I don't have a lot of bills, but my parents don't pay for everything anymore."

Nevertheless, Hill is like most students who find it necessary to be able to have more than just their basic needs met. Cars, clothing and cell phones account for the majority of money that students spend and hardly ever does it stop there.

"Honestly, I don't need to work this much," Hill said. "But I'm used to the money and if I had to go back down to like a 50-bucks-a-week allowance, I'd go crazy."

Bekis agrees. She said students often get into a bind having to pay for things they wish they'd never bought.

"I once had a student to call me for help," Bekis said. "She worked two jobs and failed her courses one semester. Her professors didn't understand that she had other things to do. "

Times are different than when our parents were in college. Because of that students have taken on more financial responsibilities, from rent and utilities, even health insurance. Luke McMahan is a senior who works in agriculture and knows the pressures of trying to balance his work and school.

McMahan says," I have worked pretty much through my college career. I work in agriculture so my hours differ from week to week. It is hard to work a lot of hours and keep up with school work. Sometimes you miss group work outside of class because you are at work and if you miss too many, it hurts your grade."

Junior Jaime Kowe, an employee at a local bar, is especially familiar with the added pressures.

"I think that a lot of students are getting into debt earlier," Kowe said. "I'm paying for my student loans, credit cards and car payments. I work like 30-35 hours a week and I go to school full-time. It's hard to find time to got to the library or study for your test when you're at work to like, three in the morning."

Even though Kowe sometimes has trouble handling everything, she said if possible, students should try and find a common ground where they don't have to work as many hours, but are still able to pay for the things they need and want.

Although times are changing and work has become more common among college students, there are some life lessons to be learned.

Justin Paschall, a senior, works for CW Sanderson's and manages 18 hours of class time.

"It is difficult sometimes. You may have a paper or project due, but you have to be at work. Time management becomes key. With all of its difficulties, the positives you gain by working a regular job outweighs the negative," says Paschall.