Stuck in a position
 

I'm 26.
Working 10 - 11 hours graveyard from 6pm - 5am latest for 6 days a week.
Making $17.50/hr. That equals about $4k a month after tax if I work my schedule without calling in sick.
At the same time I'm going to school to complete my high school diploma.
I have no time in the day to do anything.

I need a reality check. Is this even normal? Is $4k a month worth staying at a job? The work is super easy but the hours is what kills. With school on the side, I can barely stay awake at work sometimes. I feel like I'm losing my mind sometimes.

It's okay, you still have time to surf revscene.net :troll:

Fuck school, take your GED. Done in 2 days.

How much longer before you complete your diploma?

How are your savings? I ask because if you choose to pursue post-secondary, it's going to be extremely difficult to keep your current job. I remember having a part time job (20 hours) during university and it was hard enough to satisfy school work.

Do you live alone ? Will you be able to support yourself if you're not taking home 4k a month after tax? apart of me thinks 4k/month take home is pretty solid but how long do you really want to work graveyard? I'm sure it takes a toll on you mentally and physically.

In my opinion you're 26 and you shouldn't be torturing yourself with these hours especially if it leaves you exhausted for the rest of the day. If you've got a decent amount of savings, I would concentrate on post-secondary and leave the job after you acquire your diploma. As long as you're persistent and hard working future schooling will have its benefits. (which you evidently are working graveyard and school at the same time)

What are you trying to accomplish in life?

Serious question.

Saving is not a problem.

Forgot to mention I have a car to pay off for another 2 years. I'm living with my dad and he's paying the rent. Reason I started going back to school is because I feel I shouldn't be stuck in a graveyard job.

So putting in 60 - 70 hours a week of work to make 4k a month a fine? I need a reality check that it's normal.

Becoming a lawyer. Too many things in my life points me towards this field.

Finish your high school diploma brah. You'll need it to get somewhere. Given 48k a year is a solid rate.
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I think the question is not if it's normal, but if you're satisfied with it or not- which in this case, the answer is clear. But to answer the question, I don't think your job is great as you can probably earn more if you held a costco job for a few years.

If you're able to find a different job that will satisfy your living expense and school expenses, while putting in less hours, you should make the switch.

Pursuing a career in law would be better than your current situation. Given that you're 26, not finished with your secondary education, and hoping to become a lawyer, you will have to make a lot of sacrifices to get there.

48k a year working 70 hour weeks doing graveyard IS NOT SOLID.

Set goals for yourself. If you want to be a lawyer, have a plan setup and follow through. Finish high school, get into post-secondary, then law school. It will not be easy but with hard work, determination and persistence; you can reach your goal.

Ask yourself "do I really want to be working here for next 5 years?"

For someone with no education, 17.50 per hour is definitely a very solid pay rate. You'd be hard pressed to find a position that doesn't require significant experience in a given field or supervisory responsibilities earning more than that.

The only thing I see being an issue is that the number of hours per week is not sustainable once you're working on a BA; if the number of hours are interfering with your ability to succeed in school you need to make a transition, either to fewer hours or a different company. Personally, I would suck it up and grind through until you have the requirements to enter university and save as much money as possible, because you will need to take on significant debt to obtain a law degree.

Major respect to you, not many people have the determination to begin pursuing such an intense degree program at twenty six.

Best of luck.

edit:
Sell the car, you're a student, nice cars are a luxury you cannot afford, because the cost of keeping it will directly affect the amount of student loan debt you need to take on. Harsh, I know, once you're mature it's tough to drive a beater, but in the long run it's the financially prudent decision.

Yeah id really recommend dropping the job once you are start doing your BA, because the time coordination just won't work out. You need to have really decent grades to get into law school and balancing your studies with graveyard shifts just makes it that much more impossible. Big ups to you for setting such a goal for yourself, and its encouraging to see people that strive for such ambitious goals.
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thanks for the advice guys. really needed it.

I think if money is an issue then you should ditch the car and only pay for what you absolutely need to because, admit it, the car is a luxury. That way you will either have more money to go towards your post-secondary education or be able to take some hours off your job and focus on your hs diploma.

Devil's Advocate here:
I work with people who have law degrees and some of the people I went to school with did their law degrees. Pursuing a career in law is not for everyone - you have to be a Type-A personality and be anal retentive in order to succeed. You need to ask yourself if you are that type of person because if not, you will get eaten alive in the course of your studies and/or when you get that articling job.

4k a month equals $25/hour. that's not ballN?

He's not putting in 40 hours a week. He's nearly double that.

I am on the same boat, getting paid like $16/hr, 5 days a week. At the same time I was taking night class to complete my business management diploma (I still am). Recently I had to quit my job so I get take some of the courses at day time. 4k a month is reasonable for now but you gotta think further ahead. If you think you are not going anywhere with your current position, you should consider finishing up you degree or diploma earlier by going full time study.

i know he works more hours but its still 4k. and he has less time to spend $$$

The avg 26 yr old in vancouver, still sucks on mommys tit getting an allowance....in richmond anyways....

this guy is actually working his ass off trying to get somewhere instead dealing dime bags trying to make a buck.

which school do you go to for your Biz Mgt?

To op,
It is good that you now have a direction (law-field) and I am not trying to put you down or anything but if you think about the average length (7 years?) to obtain that license to practice, assuming you are, you will be mid 30s and fresh into the field... I think it's a bit late to enter but hey, if you are determined then you'll still make it ;)

Props on you working your butt off to pay off the car AND go to school.
Took me 3 years to pay off my ride working PT and FT school and god that was brutal.

Looking at how much you earn a month, with no education certs or degrees, that's a very decent amount you're making.

Like others have said, write down a plan. Calculate your monthly costs. What are your necessities that you MUST pay off, ie: car finance / food / gas / insurance/ school etc.

How much are you left after all that is said and done?
Leave yourself a certain amount for emergency use.
Other than that, in my opinion, set your schooling as your first priority, then work, then your car.

Ask if your manager / supervisor if you could switch to PT work. If it's doable, at least it will allow you ample time to Rest / Study / and have your own free time to do whatever.

Last thing you want to do is not have enough sleep and no time to study, and fubar your final exams.

I was sort of in that position besides the education and graveyard part. I really wasnt going anywhere and now I'm back in school fulltime at BCIT.

I've honestly been wondering if I made the right choice going back. I'm not sure what's causing it, it could be the fact that I'm still transitioning from having a FT job + income to no job + no income and I'm already missing the paycheques..

But in the end it's worth it, but it really depends on where you want to go with your life.
My suggestion, if you're able to, pay off any loans/debt etc and get into post secondary after finishing your high school diploma. A degree wont necessarily make you tons of money, but it will vastly broaden your opportunities.

Kwantlen. It's great cause it's close by and they offer a lot of night classes.

Keep your sights focused on your long term goal, don't let your current job hinder you from achieving that. Don't become comfortable, settle in, and lose sight of your goal.

Working so many hours, especially graveyard and trying to balance school is undoubtedly going to take a toll on your own sanity, health, and relationships with friends/family. Don't let yourself burn out. Make sure you have time to do things you enjoy to actually "live" your life.

All things considered, likely it's pointing towards the eventual cutting down of your hours at your graveyard shift... If you plan to continue with your education, this will need to happen. Even if you decide to stay at this job, you can't work 60-70 hour weeks doing graveyard forever if you want to have a family, and since you will be aging down the road.

Aim to make the same amount of money or more while putting in fewer hours and/or better hours. The target is there, so its up to you to do what you have to do to hit it.

you're kinda right. it's actually going to be 8 1/2 year to finish because i am still completing my high school diploma at a very slow pace (1 course a semester).

i think when it comes to arguing and proving something is right or wrong, i can be very anal, especially when i know 100% i am right and the other person is not admitting to it.

it's comments like these that makes me have second thought, and i don't blame you because i'm a very realistic person. and realistic people don't succeed or fail in life, they seem to live a mediocre life and settle with what they have. i'm not steering off on my goals just because of these few comments. it's these comments that raises another problem for me to solve, a question for me to answer. i have been through many decisions in my life and know that every time i start something fresh, there'll always be a set back but in the end i always succeed better than anyone else by quickly learning from my mistakes.

selling my car is not an option because my car is my wheels to get my shit done. without it, i feel discouraged and unmotivated.