Analysis Of Manual Labor, All Night Long: The Reality Of Paying For College

College is one of the most expensive and time-consuming things that a person can experience. From tuition costs, to room and board, and the many textbooks needed for classes, the price starts to add up. The majority of the time, students need to take out thousands of dollars of loans, which stick with them for years following graduation. Many students look for alternative ways to relieve this debt, from work studies to scholarships or grants. In her essay, “Manual Labor, All Night Long: The Reality of Paying for College,” Alana Semuels discusses how students are working 15+ hours a week to relieve their tuition costs. Many work at night, and go to school during the day, leaving little to no time for relaxation, homework, or fun. Being a full-time

Lack of sleep can cause short term effects like headaches or mood changes, but it can also contribute to more major issues like heart disease or high blood pressure. It can also impact memory and attention span, which causes problems with attending school. These effects can be extremely harmful and can put many students at risk of health problems. Semuels interviewed a student who has a particularly busy schedule. Her say starts off at 3pm with class, and she continued to work through the night and into the next day, “That afternoon she attended a parent-teacher conference, capping off more than 24 hours straight of work and school with no sleep.” (Semuels 207). It is clear how this student had little to no time to rest and worked consistently for an extended period. This is extremely unhealthy for a person to do and doing it consistently over the course of their time in school can cause long-term negative health effects. Not to mention, sleep deprivation can cause a person’s awareness to lessen, putting them at a higher risk of injury while working manual labor jobs. The physical effects of overworking are clear and can heavily infringe on a person’s life outside of