Eight Years As A Working Student on Long Island
For eight years, I balanced work and school as a working student, commuting across Long Island while earning my degrees.
My college experience didn’t look like dorm life or afternoons spent studying on campus. Instead, it looked like early mornings, long commutes across Long Island, and trying to fit coursework into whatever hours remained after a full day of work.
Like many students today, focusing on school alone was never an option.
My Beginning at Suffolk County Community College
I began my academic journey at Suffolk County Community College, where I earned my associate’s degree. From there, I transferred to Farmingdale State College, where I completed my bachelor’s degree in Communications.
About a year later, I returned to school once again to pursue my master’s degree in Accounting at SUNY Old Westbury.
Throughout those eight years, I was also working in banking.
Balancing Work and School in Banking
Balancing work and school meant constantly moving between responsibilities.
Some days started with work and ended with class. Other days meant commuting across Long Island to make it to campus after a long shift, hoping to arrive on time and still have enough energy left to focus.
During those years, my schedule often stretched from early morning to late at night.
I would leave home around 7 a.m. for work, and after work I would head straight to campus for evening classes at SUNY Old Westbury.
Some nights, classes didn’t end until 10:40 p.m. By the time I made the trip home, it was usually around 11 p.m. Then the next morning, the cycle would start again.
There were nights when assignments had to be finished late, long after the workday was over.
Some days meant leaving work and heading straight to campus, navigating traffic across Long Island just to make it to class on time. Weekends often became study sessions.
The rhythm of life became a cycle of work, commute, class, and studying; repeated week after week.
It wasn’t always easy.
But like many working students, I kept going because the goal of earning my degree mattered. For many of us, education represents more than just a diploma it represents the opportunity to build a better life.
It’s the belief that through education we can open doors to better careers, greater financial stability, and a different future than the one we started with.
For millions of working students, that belief is what keeps them going through long days, late nights, and the constant balancing act between work and school.
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It meant I didn’t experience college the same way many residential students do. There wasn’t much time to stay on campus after class, hang out with friends, or participate in events. Most nights were simply about finishing class and heading home to rest before doing it all over again the next day.
Discovering Tuition Reimbursement
One of the turning points in my journey came when I learned that my employer at the time, offered tuition reimbursement.
Through that benefit, I was able to receive support for my master’s degree, as well as some of the prerequisite courses I needed in order to qualify for the program.
Having access to tuition reimbursement made a meaningful difference in my ability to continue my education while working.
Before that, I had assumed that balancing work and school meant carrying the entire financial burden on my own. Discovering that companies sometimes offer education benefits opened my eyes to a possibility that many working students simply don’t know exists.
Why I Created OneSavvyScholar
Looking back, those eight years as a working student taught me something important.
There are many students whose college experience happens between work shifts, long commutes, and real-life responsibilities. Their path through higher education may not look traditional, but it requires a tremendous amount of resilience and determination.
That realization is what eventually inspired me to build OneSavvyScholar.
The goal of the platform is simple: to help working students discover companies that support education through tuition reimbursement and other learning benefits. Because for students who are balancing work and school at the same time, access to the right information can make a meaningful difference.
For anyone currently navigating that journey; working full time while pursuing a degree, know that your path may look different, but it is no less powerful.
Because for many working students, earning a degree isn’t just about education; it’s about building a better future.
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And if sharing my journey helps even one working student discover an opportunity that makes their path a little easier, then those eight years of balancing work and school will have meant even more.
And you are far from alone.
Find Companies That Offer Tuition Reimbursement
The OneSavvyScholar Tuition Reimbursement Database tracks companies that help employees pursue degrees while they work. Inside the database, you'll discover;- Tuition reimbursement amounts
- Waiting periods
- Full-time vs part-time eligibility and much more!
