Kids need to do work, and not just homework.

Many people seem to think that getting a job isn’t something to worry about until towards the end of their college experience.

I believe that all students should have a job at least sometime during  high school.  The benefits of having a job far outweigh the downside of having to balance something besides homework and extra-curricular activities.

The top reason to get a job is to start earning income, which teaches kids to deal with money and take a step towards becoming independant. Though these are two separate reasons, I believe that they do interlock with each other. A  steady income, even if it’s just the earnings of a minimum wage job,  gives you a little bit of independence. Want to go see a movie? Buy that new shirt? Eat at your favorite restaurant? You have money, you can do all these things without having to bug your parents about it!

I never had an allowance when I was a kid, so the only times I could buy things when I was little was if I begged my parents for it, or I would wait for my birthday or Christmas, and hope that I got what I asked for.

I have had a job since the summer after my freshman year of high school. In fact, for  few months, I was working three jobs at once. All of these jobs have been minimum wage, and even though it doesn’t seem like much money, it’s more than enough for me to have fun and do what I want with the earnings.

I currently have two jobs, one working at the movie theater year-round,  the other at the racetrack in Fountain City during the summer, and both have been time well spent. Not only does it give me money to spend, but it also gives me something to do, so I’m not just spending my free time lying on the couch watching T.V.

As I said, making money and becoming independent go hand in hand. The income also allows me to pay for more than entertainment.  For example, when it comes to my car I’ve been paying for my own gas since I got my license, any repairs that might have to be done, and, though I haven’t had any, I would pay for any tickets.

I will admit, I don’t pay for my insurance, but it ended up being cheaper for everyone just to go on my parent’s plan. Though my parents do occasionally help me with a couple dollars for gas, or by paying half of a $400 window fix, I still do most of my car payments by myself.

It’s also not only my car I pay for, I also pay for my own phone bill, any non-necessity clothes I may want, books and movies I like, among other things.

Managing the money I earn is helping me to become independent, and to slowly stop relying on my parents for everything. This will make the transition of leaving home in the years to come much easier.

In the end, having a job is a very good thing for all students. It not only helps them to pay for things they want, but it also helps them to become more independent, and smooth out the transition to adjusting to life away from their parents.

Let’s go to work.