I regret not giving myself a semester budget, because I have definitely broken whatever it would have been during first semester. In college, it is so easy to order Domino’s, go into the city for dinner, or buy whatever t-shirt a group on campus is selling. These frivolous spendings, on top of books, a new laptop, and other necessities, ate up my wallet and my a piece of my soul this semester.

As much as I loved my job during the summer, there were certain days/weeks that I had to really muster up the motivation to put on my uniform and be a smiling, happy employee. Now, knowing how easy it is to blow through money in college, I am picking up all the shifts I can get. Here are the top eight reasons going back to work (or getting a seasonal job!) is awesome on break:

1. Moolah. The most obvious reason. Those CinnaStix and order of cheesy bread didn’t pay for themselves, and they sure won’t next semester either.
2. It’s the holidays. If you, like me, work in the restaurant business or an industry where you get tips, people are usually in the spirit of giving, and will grant you a little bigger tip than usual.
3. You would otherwise be sitting on your butt watching TV at home. Which sounds great and all, unless you like productivity and a sense of purpose. Unless you consider productivity to be finishing a series on Netflix...but that’s a different story.
4. Burn off those Christmas cookie cals! Most jobs require you to stand on your feet for several hours during your shift. Standing allows you to burn more calories than you would sitting and watching TV, helping you burn off those Christmas cookies without even trying!
5. Friends can come visit. Being in one place for an extended amount of time allows the perfect opportunity for friends to come visit you, announced and unannounced. It is especially awesome when people you haven’t seen in awhile stop in to see/surprise you.
6. Seeing work friends. If you’ve already worked at your place of employment, you get to see all your “work friends” that you get to catch up with on the past couple months. They understand your life from a different perspective, since they know how you really respond to good/bad situations. You also get to catch up on any work drama you missed.
7. Seeing your old regulars. Again, if you work in the restaurant business, you probably had those loyal customers who came in every week for good food and good conversation. Even though they were probably included in some of your “work stories” you told to your school friends, you probably didn’t even realize you missed them until they walk in the door and see them for the first time. It’s good to see them again.
   
   
8. It’s different. For the past 4 months, you were accustomed to basically the same routine on campus. You faced the same difficulties, just slightly varying across the board in homework, relationships, and social life week by week. At work, it’s a change of pace, usually a little quicker of one, where you get to interact with all kinds of new people, personalities, and situations for a short period of time before you go back to the school routine again.

While the cha-ching back in your pocket and bank account is definitely sweet, these bonuses make working over break that much more worth it. And your future-spending self will thank you.