I am a glorified, yet underpaid drug dealer that doesn?t even drive a European car.

I give people their daily fix?all for around $3. The product I sell is grown in the mountains and jungles of South America. Protected by armed guards, the product is highly guarded until it reaches its destination?generally Seattle.

Each and every morning I see the same longing faces?all belonging to a select group of professionals?all of whom are addicts. These people are searching for a routine, something that keeps them going every day, and I provide that to them.

Self-assurance all in a little white cup. You see, I peddle coffee to the masses. And I enjoy it.

My job isn?t all that glamorous. I arrive at work before most sane people care to arise, and I leave reeking of burnt coffee and chocolate. And not only that, to me, a 50-cent tip is a gift to truly cherish! But it?s not like my job is that bad, in fact, it can actually be quite fun and entertaining.

I don?t want to make it seem that working with coffee is something to dread. It is definitely more than a few steps up from the quinnesential crappy job?burger flipping at the Golden Arches?but isn?t as cool as working at a fancy restaurant. I have worked in the coffee business for two years now and I only have occasionally considered leaving the business for something else. I have changed employers over the past two years (traded in the green apron from the Evil Empire a while ago), but all along, I knew I had the perfect college student job.

As working students?which most of us are?it is important to maintain a balance between work and school. To most of us, working is a vital component of our lives. Without the hourly wages we make in our employment for “The Man,” many students would be lost in the tangled web that is financial aid. Even with these jobs it?s still a requirement for many to still receive assistance from the school and the federal government.

The delicate balance of work, school and play is a common situation for all students. We all have precious little time to spend doing things we love because we have to make money so we can pay for an education we need to make more money. Ironic.

But it?s important to maintain the reason for going to school in your mind when you are in a situation where you have to pick work over school.

Always choose school over work. In the long run it will pay off, more than making that extra $7.50 by hanging around work for an extra hour.

As for those times when you have to pick play, make sure your class lacks an attendance requirement.

Brendan D. Wonnacott is a Government & History major and is opinion editor of The State Hornet. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]