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Working while also going to school is a great way to save money, but it also makes life very busy and difficult.

What would you do if you decided to stop working while you finished your last year of school, but then your friends called you lazy and made comments suggesting that you weren’t ready for the real world?

That is what is happening to the young lady in this story, and now she is questioning herself and whether she really is in the wrong here.

To me, it seems that her friends are either jealous or they are just jerks. Either way, she should try to find new ones. Read through the full story and see if you agree.

AITA for choosing to focus on university instead of working during my final year?

For context, I am a last year university student.

Students can be very busy while at university.

I was living with my parents until now and had a job for about 3 years even though they said I don’t have to work yet (they both first finished their education before finding their first job).

So, I managed to work full time and study at the same time. Then I found my partner and moved in with him, so I’m now closer to my university and don’t have to drive 2h one way to attend classes.

Finding a job that can work around class schedules can be difficult.

I tried to find a job here, had 3 attempts but couldn’t keep any because it would collide with my class schedule which is the most important for me right now.

I decided to stop searching and give myself a break for the last year so I can write my thesis in peace and perhaps work on my small business.

My parents cover my half of the rent, and I pay the rest from my savings and handmade things I sell (food, travel, interests etc.).

These friends are being weird.

After I quit each job, my friends started arguing about it with me. We grew cold and distant. They basically told me I was lazy and not mature enough for my age to endure working full time and studying like all people do, that “this is life, it won’t be pleasant from now on”.

I saw them reposting stuff saying “the pain of talking to somebody who isn’t mentally adult yet”.

Every relationship is different.

Another time a few months ago one of them asked if it is really that hard to live with your partner. Another friend said it’s tough, that you argue a lot, have to mother them and do all the chores and you get sick of them sometimes.

I said it’s the opposite for me and if she found the right person, everything will go smoothly and that for me, my relationship grew even stronger since we moved in together.

To be fair, her relationship still seems fairly new.

They didn’t take that well despite my good intention (not to flex but rather not antagonize living with somebody, because I’m hardly against a “I hate my husband/wife” mentality).

They jumped onto me saying I shouldn’t be so sure now, since I don’t have a job and I have a lot of free time to take care of our house (even though it’s wrong because I still have to study and work on my business every day, the only difference is that I’m home more often).

These friends are not very supportive.

When I complain that I’m tired or worried about my future they say I’m in no place to complain since they all have it worse working full time.

That I should just find a job instead of being my parents’ parasite and living off their money. They ignore some of my texts when I say good stuff or share something I made to show that I in fact am doing something, not just scrolling TikTok and sleeping.

Maybe she needs to find some new friends.

It is always 3 vs 1, and I’m the bad guy in every argument. It really isn’t anything more cause I never spoke badly to any of them.

Part of me is worried that they are right and I really am the bad guy since any of them sides with me and I shouldn’t speak up about their lives or vent about jobs or any daily struggles.

AITA?

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It is clear that her friends don’t want her advice on relationships and stuff, so maybe she should keep that to herself. That being said, they don’t seem like great friends. Maybe it is time to distance herself from them.

Let’s see what the people in the comments have to say about her situation.

Here is someone who says working full time through university doesn’t work for everyone.

They really don’t seem like good friends.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a neighbor who sees the chance for revenge after a neighbor who refuses to share wifi needs help with a parking issue.

The friends would do the same thing if they could.

This commenter thinks her friends are jealous.

It is time to find some new friends who are actually supportive.

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Author

Michael Levanduski

Senior Contributing Editor, Workplace & Community

Michael Levanduski is a veteran journalist and digital culture specialist with over 15 years of professional writing and research experience. While his background spans emerging technology and complex technical subjects, Michael specializes in analyzing workplace ethics, property disputes, and viral interpersonal dynamics across modern digital forums.

Since joining TwistedSifter in 2024, Michael has authored some of the publication’s most widely read coverage on corporate policy, malicious compliance, and neighborhood relations. Rather than simply aggregating online debates, he brings rigorous research, organizational context, and an empathetic editorial voice to everyday human dilemmas—transforming raw forum discussions into insightful, highly engaging narratives.

When he isn’t covering internet culture, Michael enjoys traveling, keeping up with tech trends, and spending time with his family. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn and Facebook.