When getting home from work around midnight, the last thing I want to do is open my laptop and submit assignments. Most nights, I feel exhausted trying to balance both responsibilities. Working while in college isn’t always a choice for many students, it is a necessity. However, colleges don’t always support the reality and challenges of students who have to juggle work, school and, at times, personal struggles outside of both.

This issue is a lot more common than some may think. According to the National Center of Education Statistics, about 40% of full-time students and 74% of part-time students work while going to college. This shows that many students are not only trying to keep up with schoolwork, but are also balancing jobs at the same time. Working is a necessity for many students who have expenses such as transportation, tuition, utilities and other personal needs to cover. As a result, students often struggle to divide their time and energy between school, work and personal responsibilities, making it harder to sustain academic demands.

I work almost every evening from 5 p.m. to 11:40 p.m. while also attending classes Monday through Thursday at various times throughout the day. Trying to balance work and school leaves me with little time to stay on top of assignments or even have time to rest. By the time I get home from work, I’m usually tired and still have other responsibilities to handle. Over time, that cycle becomes overwhelming and makes it difficult to put my full effort into school. It can lead to low motivation, poor grades and burnout.

Although this experience is common, many colleges are not structured to support working students. Deadlines are often strict, assignments pile up quickly and there is limited flexibility for students with responsibilities outside of school. Not every student has unlimited time to dedicate to homework, yet colleges tend to overlook the reality that many students are balancing jobs at the same time.

Besides work and school, many students are also dealing with personal struggles that others often may not know about. Whether it is family responsibilities, financial stress or mental health challenges, these issues make balancing everything more difficult. Not all students have strong support systems or free time like some of their peers, yet they are still expected to put in the same effort.

Colleges should recognize and adapt to the realities of working students. This could include offering more flexible deadlines, allowing some late submissions without penalty and being more understanding of work-scheduling conflicts. Campuses could also offer more support services specifically aimed at working students, such as time management workshops or academic advising that takes work schedules into consideration. These changes could create an environment where all students have a fair chance to succeed.

Behind every late or missing assignment, there is exhaustion, responsibility and outside pressure that many students carry every day. If colleges continue to ignore these realities, many students will continue to struggle in silence while trying to keep up. Supporting working students is not just about making things easier, it is about making success possible.