Part-time Jobs for College Students

Nowadays, many college boys and girls take part-time jobs in their spare time. Some are employed by the companies near the campus, working as office clerks or computer programmers. Others have become salespersons for the commercial businesses. Foreign language students may serve as interpreters or translators where international cooperation is carried out. Or they may become tour guides for travel agencies. Also, it is a common practice for girl students to become governesses helping children with their school work in their homes.

Many people, including some professors and parents, make no secret of their disapproval of this. On the one hand, they argue that academic pursuit is the main task for college students and that taking part-time jobs distracts their attention and consumes a lot of energy needed. On the other hand, professors and parents tend to believe that college boys and girls need to further cultivate their personality and develop their sense of responsibility before they can be ready for any serious jobs.

But in my opinion, every coin has two sides. It is true that the students’ major task is to study. It is also true that taking part-time jobs will take a lot of time and energy. However, if the students can learn to arrange their time properly, the professors and parents might as well be relieved from all their worries. As many students take jobs related to their fields of study, they can gain some first-hand experience instead of being distracted from their study. Moreover, treated as full adults on their part-time jobs, they will develop their sense of responsibility very soon. When they finally graduate, they will find themselves in a more agreeable social environment.(280w)