Many people will ask how you do it? More importantly, many people will ask you why you do it? If you are a college student whose parents pay all your expenses and just want you to focus on your education please do not take this article as an insult. To be honest, all of us working college students envy you. And, we depend on y'all to help or send us the homework assignments when we don't get to them. But, besides the fact that I don't have the luxury of my parents paying my bills and that I have to pretty much provide for myself, with the exception of emergencies, working in college has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done for myself. If I am being completely honest, I started working in high school my Junior year just for some extra cash to put gas in my car and go out with friends. As a working high school student, you really don't think much about saving because you don't need to save. But, entering college and working multiple jobs to pay my bills and provide and support myself has done everything from making me a better person to help me grow financially smarter.

1. It will make you all the more thankful for your parents.

When you begin to support yourself you will also start to wonder how on earth your parents did it? Not only did they support you but they supported each other, your siblings and in some cases other members of your family. This in itself will help grow your relationship with your parents by one hundred times. When your parents come up to visit you in college or you go home occasionally and they pay for your meals and cook for you this will make you all the more appreciative of those kinds of little things because you don't expect those things anymore.

2. It will teach you more than responsibility it will teach you work ethic

If you are like me and believe wholeheartedly that laziness runs in your genes, one of the best things you can do is get a job or jobs. Yes, a job will teach you all about responsibility, being on time, and managing your money but most importantly it teaches you and instills in your work ethic. Money is one of the most motivating things. Especially for college students. Before I started working I remember spending most of my days in bed, watching Netflix, eating Ramen Noodles (because I was broke), etc. But, as I am now working a few jobs I am realizing that if I see that my schedule allows me to pick up some extra shifts at work a couple times a week, you can bet I am the first to offer to cover someone. Think about it like this, yes you have to work but you'll walk out with more money you would've if you were just lying in bed.

3. It will teach you people skills & bring you friendship without you even trying.

No matter what job you have you will most likely have to interact with people. Whether, it is customers, co-workers, your boss, etc. If you are that student or person that has a hard time breaking out of their shell or branching out to make new friends my best advice is to get a job. Why? Well, you will probably immediately make friends with some of your co-workers, and if you're lucky your boss. If not them, you will be interacting with customers who will most likely want to be your friend eventually if they come in often and you are always friendly. Along with bringing you friendship, it will teach you major people skills such as how to communicate, emphasize, love people and the best one of all if decide to take a job in customer service, apologize when you did nothing wrong. Making friends if you are more on the shy side and developing people skills such as communication and empathy can be challenging things to do and or develop but a job will do these things for you, and in you without you even realizing it is happening and another plus you basically got paid for it.

4. It not only gives you experience but it gives you references.

If what I am saying is going in one ear and out the other let me just say this. One day, you'll need a job. Not just any job either, you'll need a career. If you are in college and working towards a degree chances are you won't want to stay at Whataburger or that on-campus job for the rest of your life. You are going to make the most out of that one piece of paper that you worked hard for. But, the bad news is that one piece of paper doesn't go very far these days. You'll need references and people to vouch for you and your character. And if you play your cards right while working, you'll have plenty when the time comes.

5. It will teach you patience and perseverance

The two things you will need not only a future career but for the rest of your life, you will gain by getting a job in college. You learn to be patient with customers, and co-workers and your managers. You learn to persevere through the stress. You don't know perseverance until you get scheduled to work until midnight the night before your 8 a.m. final. Along with time management to ensure you finish all your homework before your shifts you will develop perseverance because something inside you will click. It becomes like a flipped switch. You know you may not want to do that research paper after a 6-hour shift but you persevere and do it anyway because that's what you are used to now, and you know and you've felt that rewarding feeling that comes when that direct deposit goes through and you get the grade you wanted.