There are many benefits to having a job while in college
Ceilidh Adams
Opinion Editor
Sunday morning. Bright and early, the sounds of the chatter of customers, and the clatter of dishes fill my ears; the smell of sweet maple syrup, savory bacon, and fluffy pancakes fills my nose. Five more hours left, I think to myself, as I greet customers at the door with a smile.
For many college students, having a part-time or even full-time job is a necessity–as we all know, college is expensive, and these jobs can help us to front the cost of our education. While money is certainly a wonderful benefit that can arise from working, there are many more benefits to working that should be explored.
First of all, though it may be cliche to say, having a job can help you to understand the value of a dollar. I know that I work very hard for my money- therefore, I now feel as though I am now less likely to spend my money frivolously, because I worked hard for every dollar that I made.
My job has also taught me about perseverance and failure. No one can be good at everything, and you will fail sometimes. I have had many bad nights at work, nights where I feel overwhelmed or stressed, but I also have had an equal amount of good nights, nights where I feel like I have achieved something great. Work can be stressful at times, but with perseverance and dedication, I know that I can now conquer whatever task lies ahead of me.
Further, having a job has helped me to stay busy, and ironically, this has in turn helped me to stay on track with my schoolwork. I work every weekend and have classes every weekday–having this busy schedule helps me to stay more focused and procrastinate less, because I have less downtime.
Having a job that is relevant to your future career choice can also benefit you in many ways. Having some experience, even if it is very little, can help you gain an advantage in your professional life.
My job has also helped me to meet new people, people of all ages and from all different backgrounds. Some of my co-workers are college students themselves, and others are older or younger than that.
Having coworkers that range in age and personality has benefitted me in many different ways. Some of my younger coworkers look up to me and my coworkers that are older than me–it is refreshing to have the opportunity to teach the younger generation life lessons. Similarly, my older coworkers have taught me many things about being an adult–they demonstrate the value of hard work every time that they arrive to work.
While it cannot be denied that money is an excellent benefit that arises from having a job, jobs can help college students gain valuable life skills. I know that I would not be the person that I am today without the life experience that I have gained from working.
So go–get out there. Put your uniform or nametag on with pride. Even if your job entails such glamorous things as scrubbing toilets, just remember, all of the greatest people had to start somewhere.
Ceilidh Adams is the Opinion Editor for The Comment.
