Being in college, you meet plenty of people who either work hard for what they have, or who get everything handed to them. I'm in the first category: I've had a job since I was sixteen, and I've pretty much worked every weekend since. I started by only working weekends my sophomore year of high school because I played jv volleyball and did varsity competitive cheer. I had to take multiple Saturdays off of work so I could compete in either a volleyball tournament or a cheer competition, and ended up mostly working Sundays for the duration of the fall and winter that year.

With that being said, I didn't need a job. My parents never told me to get one, and they told me that they'd pay for my gas money because that was their responsibility. They also paid for my car insurance. But I got a job at the beginning of my sophomore year anyways, because I wanted spending money. I also paid for the majority of my gas money, and I only asked if I was flat broke. By working, I became an odd man out at my school, where the majority of the kids either didn't have a job at all, or only worked in the summer. I was able to make money (although not a significant amount), go to school, and play sports.

Eventually, I realized I needed college money. So instead of spending all that money I was making, I gave each dollar that I made a purpose, and put a significant amount into my college fund. Because I didn't have a college fund from my parents, I was looking at thousands of dollars in debt. But I put my head on straight, starting saving my money, and I only had to take a loan out for the first year.

Starting my freshmen year of college, every week, I put $150 in my savings account. That's usually with only making between $250-300 that week. So instead of putting the measly 10% that people recommend, I put literally 50% or more into my savings account. That's $600 a month, while other people struggle to put $100 in their savings. My savings account is only for my college fund. I don't touch any of the money that comes from it. I work 3-4 days a week, depending on how many shifts I'm given and how many I want to pick up that week. That's 20-25 hours a week. I work for my future.

Then I see people who get literally everything handed to them. Students who's parents pay their tuition, and also pay their rent. Students who, for some reason, still get spending money when they're 18-23 years old. Students who claim that their parents "want them to focus on school." My parents want me to focus on school, too, and them encouraging me to work doesn't mean that they aren't good parents. It means that they know that I'll know the value of a dollar when I graduate.

When I graduate, my resume is going to not only have my work experience on there from the time I was sixteen, but also it'll have my experiences from college: as a member of my English honor fraternity, as a participant in a volunteer organization that helped with hurricane relief in Texas, as president of my workout group, and as a writer of two online platforms. I don't only focus on my studies, but I focus on my extracurriculars, too.

I want people to know that if they don't work hard for what they want, then they'll never get it, plain and simple. I want to graduate with as little debt as possible, so I work on the weekends. I want to gain experience as a writer, so I write articles for two platforms weekly and write pages of my own personal book every single day. I wanted to workout and be a part of something, so I created a workout organization because there wasn't one. I work for everything that I could possibly want in life, and then I work harder. I want people to know that if their mom and dad pay their rent, then that's good for them, but where are they getting work experience from? Even if they want to pay for your rent and groceries, get a job and start a savings account.

I want people to know that if you work hard, it'll take you further than being spoiled ever will.