Remember those summers when you and your friends would ride bikes around the neighborhood, and ride from park to pool to each other’s houses all day long? Those kinds of summers were the best, where everyone was always together and you could always find something to do. We relied on each other for fun, having all the time in the world. Summers were something we looked forward to as kids because that meant no work! We got to be social 24/7, play games, go for a swim, and come home for dinner that our parents had made for us.
Ah, summer. What are our summers like now as college students? Well, there is a thing that mostly every student experiences…summer jobs. Summer jobs are how we now spend our summers because college students need money. Money, money, money. It has come to that point in our lives where money is now crucial. Adulting, the act of being a responsible, bill-paying adult, sucks. We now have to push aside our wants for our needs, meaning we need to have self control and be responsible human beings. But aren’t summers a time for fun and going on trips that you didn’t get to go on because you had school all the rest of the year? No, you have to stay home and work your ass off. That’s life.
Now don’t get me wrong, some summer jobs are great. Having a summer job can help you break out of your comfort zone by doing things and talking to people in a more professional atmosphere. For someone who has been in the restaurant business for five years now, I definitely feel more comfortable talking to people where I have developed social skills and learned how to approach people. Having a job in the summer is a great time to get some real life experience. But are we ready for that? We are still learning how to adapt to living on our own at school, and keeping up with our classes, school jobs, as well as having a social life. Balancing all of these is very challenging. I remember the only thing challenging as a kid during the summer was trying to convince your mom or dad to spend the night at a friend’s house for the second night. It never worked out for me.
Those carefree summers seem like a different life now to some people. We now have to scrounge around for summer jobs. I constantly hear friends of mine, or people I follow on social media, looking for a summer job. Some people find one right away, and others may not even be able to find a job. Next thing we know this won’t be a summer job we are trying to find, but a real one. Trying to find one of those..where does one even begin? Kids need to hold on to the summer days they have now because now we must look beyond those days to make goals and raise a shit ton of money to achieve them. It is helpful to know mostly every student is in the same situation as you,. So, let’s make it a little easier for ourselves and help each other out!
