It’s not always about the money, though that’s a big reason students work part-time (or, in some cases, full-time). While it’s difficult to juggle work and studies, more than 70% of college students in the United States are working part-time. The high cost of tuition while in college is enough to make even students from high-income families seek part-time employment.
Hopefully, your school uses ergonomic school furniture supplies so that you can sit in comfort while listening to your professor. After working in a local diner for a full shift, all you want to do is to rest your tired aching muscles. Fortunately, you’re also a good student who knows what the responsibilities are academically. So you muster the strength to attend your night classes, finish your reports, and go to work/class again tomorrow.
Bravo! You are sacrificing a huge chunk of your youthful time to earn for yourself. Know that not many people succeed as a working student. Many drop out of school to focus on their “careers” in grocery stores, coffee shops, and shopping centers. Don’t worry, you’re bound to join the workforce as a well-rounded individual who knows how to handle customers, deal with terrible bosses, and collaborate with workmates.
Learn Responsibility and Time Management
People who work and study at the same time learn about being responsible and time management at an early age. They should have learned about that at home or in high school, but this is a different kind of responsibility and time management. You’re not just late to your P.E. class. You’re late to work that pays you $13 an hour. You didn’t just forget to do your fifth-grade paper. You forgot to finish a chapter in your thesis. Yes, that one paper you must complete before getting a degree.
The stakes are higher in college. Your professors are more brutal. When you’re working part-time, you are as responsible for what happens in the workplace as the full-time worker next to you. There are no excuses. You can’t go running to your parents when the teachers reprimand you.
And you take these with you when you’re working. You’re more responsible. You meet your deadlines. You finish reports before you clock out. You sleep early when you know that there’s an early meeting at work. This is the kind of discipline you learned from being a student and working part-time.
Become Independent
You’re no longer dependent on your parents. Sure, they still cover a huge chunk of your tuition, but you get to pay for your food and lodging. You earn enough money to buy the books you need. In turn, you become independent. You’re less reliant on your family’s money. You become your own self.
You bring this confidence with you when you work. You know what you’re capable of. You know that when you were studying and working part-time, you were promoted as supervisor of the store you’re working at. You’re confident that you’ll be able to do the same now that you’re formally working. This confidence is intoxicating to your superiors. They want people who want to prove themselves. They’re going to open doors of opportunities for you.
Students who work part-time actually do better in school than those who don’t. They put more value on the money they spend. They know that every single dollar counts. The same can be said for the time they waste on trivial things. Their time is valuable to them. These are the kinds of values any company wants in their employees.