Should I Stay At My Part-Time Job?

Question:

I'm a college student working a part-time job, and I am asking because my boss gave me the choice of staying or quitting my job. She asked because I truthfully haven’t been doing a good job, as I've been depressed for some period of time now. My bosses seem to think I'm incompetent, but it's really that I'm so shy, I'm scared to ask them questions. My depression has made me lazy, which in turn has caused me to be late a few times, and I even called in late two hours during my 3-hour shift started. (My bosses let me stay because the job is very lenient - it's a low-skill, manual labor job.)

The reason why I would like to stay, though, is that I'm usually a hard worker - it's just that I've been feeling very depressed and discouraged lately.

Answers:
There's a lot in your question, so I'll take things one at a time.
First, your biggest problem is depression. You need to get that fixed. That means see a doctor, or a psychologist, or ideally both.
Now about this job. It seems to me that you have really squandered a lot of goodwill. Your boss wants to fire you, but has given you the option of shaping up and doing better.
My first reaction was, just leave. Do yourself, your boss, and your co-workers a favor and get out of there. You've taken their money but haven't put in the work, shown contempt for the job and for the people that work there, and generally done the wrong thing.
But, if you really think you can turn it around, maybe there is a point to staying. However, if you do, you have to take the job seriously and give it everything. Right now, you're going "oh this job is just nothing, who cares, it's just manual labor."
Wrong attitude.
If you really think you're better than them (I suspect that secretly you do, that you're destined for better things) then put everyone out of their misery. On the other hand, if you want to do it right, you have to find something about that job that you like, that you can hang on to, and make a part of yourself.

When you walk in your boss may already be thinking you should stay or go. The impression you have made, has already been made. 4 more work shifts are not going to change that impression.

Consider this a lesson learned, take serious matters seriously.

As you begin a new job, no matter how you feel, you get your body to work ontime, and give it the best you can put-out for the time you are scheduled. If you crumple and sleep once you get home, so be it. You are hired to DO A JOB. If you are not going to come, or not going to do the work you were hired to do, you don't belong there. -- depression or no depression.

If you genuinely need some accomodation in order to work, this is something you will need from your psychiatrist, most likely, before you are hired so you and the company know what to expect from each other.

Guard your reputation - it does not go away.

Should I Stay At My Part-Time Job?

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