Easy part-time job for 1L - good or bad idea (40$/hr)? Forum

[beach_terror]

So, this summer I started work as a part-time soccer coach. I get paid 40$ an hour. They like the progress the kids I work with have made, so they want to keep me on during the fall.

As of now, they're willing to give me enough work to pay my rent each month (~600$). It'd be a 2-2.5 hour session on Friday evenings from 5-7ish and then possibly one or two hours on Saturday/Sunday. So nothing during the week that would interfere with classes.

I'm very tempted to stay on and commit 3-4 hours a week to be able to pay rent on my own without loans. The job is easy, roughly half-hour commute times to any given spot, and I feel like it'd be a good stress reliever at the end of a long week.

Good idea? Bad idea?

[vanwinkle]

Usually I'd advocate not working. However, this is high pay, low hours, and stress relieving activity all rolled into one. One of the risks of working is adding stress, but that doesn't sound like a problem here. You're not really working so much as getting paid significantly to take a little downtime on the weekends. Since stress relieving activities are an important part of 1L survival, I say far better to get paid than not.

There's no downside here. Go for it.

[thecilent]

What part-time soccer coach gets paid $40/hr for only 2-5 hours a week?? Very strange.

I would most def do it.

[hellokitty]

I think you should do it. It seems like you really enjoy your job and it's only a few hours a week. Have fun!

[stratocophic]

[thebookcollector]

If you can't find an extra four hours per week, I'd imagine you have serious time management problems. Go for it.

FYI, the poll (at least to me), is akwardly worded. People could be voting "yes, it is a bad idea" or "yes, work 4 hours a week."

Of course, maybe I'm just not able to read today... or maybe I'm thinking too much into it...

[sibley]

I second the stress relief benefits. Do it.

[Kurt Cobain]

Absofruitly! Sounds perfect! Worrying about rent would suck a lot more than working for 4 hrs a week.

[thecilent]

Absofruitly! Sounds perfect! Worrying about rent would suck a lot more than working for 4 hrs a week.

Well he wouldn't really be worrying about rent.. it would just be some extra loans.

[Kurt Cobain]

Absofruitly! Sounds perfect! Worrying about rent would suck a lot more than working for 4 hrs a week.

Well he wouldn't really be worrying about rent.. it would just be some extra loans.

True. But aren't educational loans lower interest than loans for random stuff like rent? (I know nothing about loans, just assuming.)

[beach_terror]

What part-time soccer coach gets paid $40/hr for only 2-5 hours a week?? Very strange.

I would most def do it.

Goalkeeper work is highly specialized and very few people have the experience necessary to teach it properly. I have a pretty solid playing resume, and I had a private GK coach for most of high school and briefly in college. I got hired by a private coaching company, not a township or club.

Thanks for the responses, that's a whole lotta yesses

[General Tso]

better make sure your school allows 1Ls to work. mine does not.

you'll be forced to report your earnings when applying for financial aid

[Sauer Grapes]

Usually I'd advocate not working. However, this is high pay, low hours, and stress relieving activity all rolled into one. One of the risks of working is adding stress, but that doesn't sound like a problem here. You're not really working so much as getting paid significantly to take a little downtime on the weekends. Since stress relieving activities are an important part of 1L survival, I say far better to get paid than not.

There's no downside here. Go for it.

This. That few of hours is totally doable.

[casper13]

What part-time soccer coach gets paid $40/hr for only 2-5 hours a week?? Very strange.

I would most def do it.

Goalkeeper work is highly specialized and very few people have the experience necessary to teach it properly. I have a pretty solid playing resume, and I had a private GK coach for most of high school and briefly in college. I got hired by a private coaching company, not a township or club.

Thanks for the responses, that's a whole lotta yesses

Damn I envy you on this part cause im sure in my hometown I could make some cash being a keeper coach, there are tons of club teams. Sadly I can only play it (been playing keep for over 20 years, even overseas) I cant articulate into words what a keeper is and isnt suppose to do, I only know how to do it. Congrats on having such a kick ass job during LS.

[paratactical]

.

[jayn3]

a friend of mine coached a hockey team during 1L, and it massacred his grades. it wasn't so much the hours spent actually coaching that were the problem, but the hours he spent dealing with whiny parents whose kids didn't get enough ice time.

granted, that was a travel team and he was the head coach.....still, i know the assistant coach was equally stressed over the parents and league drama. i would not recommend coaching unless you are 100% positive you will not get unnecessary stress from it.

[Duralex]

I think he should give it a shot. It's a pretty sweet arrangement. If it doesn't work out, he can quit.

[midwestls]

Are you comfortable finishing in the middle of your class or lower? Would you be fine with that?

If so, coach.

If not, don't coach, because if you end up middle or lower, you'll always wonder if those hours would have made a difference. I'll tell you this as well: Every gunner in smiles whenever they hear someone is working, because most folks can't handle it. You may be the exception, but most can't. Just a fact of LS life.

[beach_terror]

First off, I won't be working directly with a team. My arrangement is that I get 100$ for two hours of work and I work exclusively with the goalkeepers. I'd need an extra 50$ a week to cover my rent. Furthermore, I'm good at what I do so the chances of a parent being disgruntled is non existent. I'm just there to make the kids not suck at being a keeper. The guys who run the company also know I'm in law school and how important my grades are going to be.

And since my main coaching block is Friday nights from 6-8, it will in no way conflict with my studying. Current students, do any of you study around those times? I find it unlikely that many do. Then my other coaching hour would be on Saturday afternoon probably. It'll be a 3 hour commitment a week to make 600 a month. Soccer is also my ultimate relaxation/stress reliever.

[vanwinkle]

Soccer is also my ultimate relaxation/stress reliever.

This is kind of the key "pro" to this. You're going to need to make time for relaxation and stress relief anyway during the semester, in order to stay sane. If you can schedule it out and get paid for it, and it's just a few hours a week that won't conflict with your class schedule, then I see no reason not to do it.

The conventional wisdom about not working is because most jobs add stress and unwanted commitments. It sounds like this is the kind of thing you'd be doing even if it were free in order to have a welcome distraction from your studies. There were quite a few kids at my law school that would take a few hours a week to go play soccer for the stress relief values; you're doing something similar to that.

While a lot of times working while going to law school is a bad idea, and a few people seem eager to jump in and spew the "don't work during 1L or you'll fail" conventional wisdom, in this particular case it makes sense and I see no reason why you shouldn't do it.

[TommyK]

Are you comfortable finishing in the middle of your class or lower? Would you be fine with that?

If so, coach.

If not, don't coach, because if you end up middle or lower, you'll always wonder if those hours would have made a difference. I'll tell you this as well: Every gunner in smiles whenever they hear someone is working, because most folks can't handle it. You may be the exception, but most can't. Just a fact of LS life.

We're not talking about a 20-hr week job. This sounds like a great way to release some stress with no real preparation needed, and some solid bank for the amount of hours. I see absolutely no compelling reason to not do it.

[jayn3]

Furthermore, I'm good at what I do so the chances of a parent being disgruntled is non existent.

my friend is also good at what he does -- he played for a great team in undergrad. most of the parents' issue with him was that he was under thirty.

not trying to dissuade you, just warning you of one particularly bad experience i saw unfold. if it works out, it sounds like it'll be a great deal for you. so good luck =)

[ToTransferOrNot]

Are you comfortable finishing in the middle of your class or lower? Would you be fine with that?

If so, coach.

If not, don't coach, because if you end up middle or lower, you'll always wonder if those hours would have made a difference. I'll tell you this as well: Every gunner in smiles whenever they hear someone is working, because most folks can't handle it. You may be the exception, but most can't. Just a fact of LS life.

You're a fucking moron. hth.

to OP: Check to make sure your school allows people to work at all during 1L. Many don't.

[romothesavior]

Are you comfortable finishing in the middle of your class or lower? Would you be fine with that?

If so, coach.

If not, don't coach, because if you end up middle or lower, you'll always wonder if those hours would have made a difference. I'll tell you this as well: Every gunner in smiles whenever they hear someone is working, because most folks can't handle it. You may be the exception, but most can't. Just a fact of LS life.

You're a fucking moron. hth.

+1.

OP, do it. If it sucks, quit.

[legalease9]

Go for it! Just make sure they don't try to sneak up your hours at crunch time etc. But 4 hrs a week is more than manageable, especially since you enjoy it and are getting big time cash for it!