March 28, 2024

Get a Job While You’re in College…Ya Bum.

One of the most struggled with concepts of the 21st century is whether or not to get a job while you’re in college… Well, from experience, I highly suggest it.

I left my hometown to go to college, and with that, I left my parents’ financial backing as well.  I didn’t care. I had been working multiple normal and odd high school kid jobs for the past two years anyways.  I was prepared and eager to get away and make a life for myself.  I got a job at a local animal hospital, working 12 to 15 hours a week.  It was fine for me, I had taken out loans for school and on-campus living expenses.  It was enough to keep me fed, entertained and allowed me to enjoy the “experience” that is college.

Get a Job While Youre in College - photo copyright Rick Sherrell

Indirectly, it was helping me in more ways than just giving me cash.  It gave me connections, opportunities, and a reason to manage my time.  Three things school doesn’t offer you.  First, I met and cared for local business people’s animals.  One of the few ways you can truly build a relationship with a person is to take care of their loved ones, even if it’s an animal.  This opened me up to easily get coffee and further connect with the local professional community.  These connections gave me opportunities for internships and eventually full-time professional jobs after college.

Lastly, but almost as extremely important, is the time management skills working a part-time job provided me.  I wasn’t just worried about school. I had to make it to work at certain times as well.  This forced me to complete papers and homework at finite times throughout my week.  I was indirectly forced to be completely productive, not allowing any time for procrastination.  I watched my roommates and friends play video games, watch movies, sleep, and suddenly freak out because they had a huge paper due in the next hour.  My friends were under the assumption that only taking 15 hours of class each week gave them a cushion of free time. That cushion was unnervingly too comfortable. They normally had too much time on their hands. They forgot about actually doing their homework.  Throughout college, I normally had more money, better grades, and more experience-induced memories than my non-working colleagues.

So, get a job.  You’ll end up leaving college with much more than a stack of old video games you’ve completed.  You’ll leave with respect for the quantity and quality of your time.  It will drive you to spend your time better and ultimately leading you to a better future.

-Tripp

Tripp Stanford is currently a senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He is studying Marketing and Entrepreneurship with a focus on growth hacking for startups. Tripp also works for a startup company called Campus Bellhops. It’s an innovative labor solution for small to medium moving jobs. Campus Bellhops strictly hires college guys and provide them with an avenue to prove themselves to be more hirable after college.

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