College is a time of studying, finding yourself, hanging out with friends, and oh, did I say studying? Yes, it is a very busy time but it is what people say is the best time of your life, so why would you spend that time broke? While working does take up a lot of time, it is important to ensure the life you live is comfortable.
Honestly, I work a minimum wage, part-time job. But hey, it pays the bills and I enjoy it. You do not need to work full-time (unless you have a lot of bills or overspend) in order to live a full life during college. I am able to pay my bills, as well as afford luxuries like a cup of coffee at Starbucks a couple of times a week.
On top of the extra cash, working while completing school teaches responsibility. It is hard to maintain class, studying, a social life, sleeping, AND working; but it is doable. It can teach young adults to be responsible, as well as time management. Having to balance all these strenuous things is hard. I know that sometimes older people like to act like we have it easy at our age, but doing all these things can be difficult to handle.
College students specifically do not realize the importance of building a resume while they are young. An employer is more likely to hire someone out of college who had a fast-food job than the person who just maintained good grades in school. Having that balance is exactly what employers are looking for when looking to hire. Having something on the resume is better than nothing.
Working in college also teaches time management. It is important to be able to find a schedule that works for you and stick to it. When working and completing a degree, students will have to find times in between to complete their homework, eat, sleep, and have a social life. Time management is something that is extremely important to being an adult. I think I am good at time management, but when I meet someone who is even better at it than I am, I am envious. I want to be them. I want to have the skill of planning that they do.
You can also meet more people when working part-time in college. I have met plenty of people in the different jobs I have had throughout college; some of these friends are for life. You can bond over talking about customers that are jerks and about how your hours suck. When you are working with your friends, it can make the workday more enjoyable. I love the friends that I make from work since they keep me sane day in and day out.
Working in college does not just give you money. It gives various different skills and adds to a resume in a way that is important to find a big kid job in the real world.
