With the cost of college these days, you almost have to be rich to end up not working at least part of the time. When I came to New Jersey from India, I thought it would be easy to earn a degree in computer science and pursue the career I had chosen. It turned out to be much more difficult than I expected. I work full time and it takes a lot longer than two years, but I've found that you can turn the problem of working full time while attending college into a great opportunity to improve your life. First of all you have to learn to live with a double calendar. When I first came to this country, I got a full-time job at a bank. When I started my studies I thought I would only work part-time. Instead, I quickly realized that I couldn't afford to pay rent and other expenses without working full time. This meant I would have to hold down a forty-hour or more job each week and adjust my coursework whenever I could. Luckily, the community college I wanted to attend had an evening program that allowed me to take classes in the evenings and on weekends. It looked like a good program on paper, but I was shocked to learn that I had no time for social activities or shopping, and very little for homework. The first semester I only slept five hours a night and I was so tired I thought I couldn't do it. At the end of the first quarter I was sure that with enough determination I would achieve my goal. A job also has to overcome academic difficulties and make sensible choices. I didn't...