Fulfilling responsibilities at both work and school cultivates the ability and sense of obligation to meet goals and standards. This can include getting to class or work on time, making an “A” on an exam, paying the rent or simply doing the best job you can no matter the task. Holding a job offers real-world experience in addition to the academic knowledge offered in college. The University of Puget Sound says that students who work at least part-time are more apt to graduate from college, achieve higher grades and have better organizational skills.
Working full-time in college requires proper time management, especially to earn a healthy grade point average and to be a productive employee. Time is a precious commodity when you juggle classes, a job and an active social life. Coordinating school, work and play so that there is time to enjoy and fulfill all three is a valuable skill to develop. The structure of the work experience can enhance a student's understanding of the not-so-structured academic environment and the even less structured social arena. That is, there is sometimes not an immediate penalty for missing a scheduled class and there is usually no consequence at all for missing a social event. The consequence for not showing up at your scheduled job, however, can be immediate dismissal.
Self-reliance boosts confidence even more than being captain of a sports team or student-body president. It’s fortunate if your parents pay your tuition and other expenses and maybe even send you pocket money, but providing all or part of that yourself prepares you for the expenses and budgeting responsibilities you will eventually face when you are on your own. Balancing a check book with the credits of a paycheck against the debits of regular bills teaches basic accounting and proper budgeting. Even if this is done online, the figures still have be balanced.
One of the most important aspects of having a job in college is networking. For example, if you plan to become a lawyer, work as a documents runner between courthouses and law offices or in a mailroom at a law firm; this can lead to internships, recommendations to law school or possibly an eventual job. Apply the same concept to whatever field you want to pursue. If you can’t find a job directly involved in your interests, work experience itself counts for a lot with many employers and graduate schools.