By Noël Rozny
Web Editor & Content Manager
Starting college can be really overwhelming. You’re probably worried about finding your classes, adjusting to the mystery meat in the cafeteria, and trying to sleep despite your roommate’s constant snoring. How are you going to fit a job into the picture?
Even though it might seem impossible, there are plenty of reasons why working during college isn’t just feasible, it’s a great idea.
How Working During College Works To Your Advantage
Working During College Helps You Financially
College is expensive, and when you’re staring at quadruple-digit tuition bills, an hourly-wage job might not seem like it’s going to make that much of an impact. But working a few hours a week can offset the cost of groceries, movie tickets, late-night pizza, and school supplies, which can add up to thousands over the course of your college career. When you add that amount on to any college loans and factor in the interest you’ll be paying, the money you’ll save by working during college suddenly seems like a much larger amount.
Working During College Builds Your Resume
Your bachelor’s degree is going to give you a variety of skills, from critical thinking to time management to research capabilities, that will indispensible when you enter the workforce. But there’s still something else employers want to see when they review yoru application: work experience. With the economy still struggling, you’re going to need every advantage as you start your job search, and working during college is one way to get it. Having a job will help you gain additional skills you need, and it will also help you start accumulating projects, success stories, and titles that you can put on your resume.
Working During College Increases Your Professional Network
This point goes hand in hand with the one above. When you start your job search, you need a resume that shows your experience, but you also need a professional network. This goes beyond your college advisor and your Mom’s best friend who you babysat for one time. You need mentors and colleagues who have worked with you to provide references, help you find job openings, and pass your resume on to future employers. The only way you’ll get these connections is to get out there and start working.
Working During College Grows Your Social Circle
I worked all four years of my undergraduate program, and one of the best things I got out of it was an amazing group of friends. In addition to your professional network, these coworkers might also be university students who you can learn from, bounce ideas off of, and hang out with after work. My work friends provided a trifecta of support – at work, at school, and socially – and I still talk to many of them to this day.
Working During College Helps Your Prioritize
Have you ever heard the saying, “If you want something done, ask a busy person?” Working in college, believe it or not, can actually help you be more efficient with your time (and your studying). Because you’ll have to factor work into your schedule, you’ll have to be a lot more structured with your time. This means that you’re a lot less likely to waste a few free hours watching “Jersey Shore” and a lot more likely to crack the books before you head to work.
