Being a full-time college student with a part-time job feels like trying to balance two full lives at once, and most days it feels impossible to do either one well. We wake up early and exhausted, rushing to make it to class on time, barely eating breakfast and already thinking about the homework we didn’t finish or the shift we have later that night. Whether we get up for work in the early mornings or stay up for late-night shifts, we are expected to smile, greet people and always push through. There’s this unspoken expectation that because we’re young, we can handle it — but sometimes we can’t. The truth is that being a student and a worker simultaneously takes an incredible emotional and physical toll, and companies need to recognize this.
Most of us work because we have to. We need to pay rent, tuition, food and gas to simply keep up with the cost of living. But the jobs we get — especially in retail or food service — don’t treat us like people who are balancing multiple responsibilities. They treat us like machines and tools that are ordered to smile and serve others through exhaustion. On top of all of this, working at some gnarly hours because we simply have to.
Take Starbucks, for example. You’ve probably heard about what’s been going on at many of their stores across the country. In the Pittsburgh area alone, three stores are closing down — East Carson Street, the North Shore and Butler. Baristas have been speaking out about unsafe conditions — being understaffed, overworked and constantly put under pressure to perform “the Starbucks experience” for customers. In addition, many stores have closed down due to the company’s estimated total of 450-500 stores being shut down without notice. This has led to many people losing their jobs or having to switch up their schedules to keep them, which is unfair. Starbucks built its brand around community and connection but burns its workers out with so many changes that uproot them from their locations and break countless connections. As college students, we’re constantly told that working while studying builds character and discipline. But it also builds stress, anxiety and burnout when there’s no balance or real support. We end up trapped in an exhausting cycle where missing a shift means losing money but taking on extra hours means falling behind in class. Overall, it is so frustrating. Employers like Target love to say they “care” about their student employees and promote a positive work culture, but if they truly valued them, they’d show it through meaningful actions. Little actions like simply recognizing our time outside of work isn’t free — it’s filled with homework, exams and many personal issues. It is impossible.
In 2025, Target came under fire for rolling back its diversity, equity and inclusion goals, sparking a sustained boycott and sharp declines in foot traffic and market value. Hundreds of employees were later fired from a Chicago warehouse over what the company described as a “medical loan scheme,” raising serious questions about how the company treats and protects its workforce. And just last year, several employees were terminated for purchasing a limited-edition Starbucks/Stanley mug, effectively punished for engaging with a product the company sold itself. These are just a few issues in huge companies, and it’s always a common theme that Target or other corporations try to cover up the issue in order to avoid any blame or controversy.
These incidents illustrate the power imbalance that occurs when a large corporation can discipline and dismiss its workers — they have almost no recourse. We’re seeing how corporate policies and enforcement can strip away dignity and trust. Huge companies like Starbucks and Target need to do better. Workers should not have the sudden fear of losing their jobs due to the company’s issues. If we, the students and workers, are to still move forward under these pressures, we must push for workplaces that don’t survive on employee burnout, but honor our lives.
As full-time students and part-time workers, we are tired and rightfully so. But being tired shouldn’t be the default. We deserve better. We deserve jobs that understand we’re balancing school and life, workplaces that treat us with compassion and a society that doesn’t glorify burnout. The Starbucks workers fighting for better conditions are leading an important example, not just for coffee shops but for every workplace that employs students.
At the end of the day, we’re not just workers. We’re people trying to build a future, and we shouldn’t have to destroy our present to do it.
Angel Rodriguez loves a writing style with a prominent voice and is very passionate about equality, self-expression and what matters most. He is always willing to hear feedback and new ideas at [email protected]