<p>KatMT, I definitely agree with you about the major thing… I also think it depends on the caliber of your college. My school is pretty tough, but I have friends at “party” schools who would definitely have time for jobs! ; )</p>
<p>At my college, I don’t know anyone who has a lot of free time on his/her hands - I know people who party a lot, but not because they have free time (just because they enjoy the social aspect of school more than the academic part and don’t want to study or do hw).</p>
<p>I haven’t known many college students who study on Friday afternoons, Friday evenings, etc. Yes, college kids do have free (non study/non class) time. </p>
<p>Millions of students across this country use work-study to help pay for college, yet somehow they keep their grades up. Somehow, they find the time.</p>
<p>I see that you go to UNC-CH. You’re very naive if you think that there aren’t a lot of kids there working W-S jobs or other part-time jobs.</p>
<p>Our son got an on-campus tutoring job a few years ago. The benefits are the money, that most of the time he could just study, that he got to meet and get to know the other tutors which were generally very good students, that he could ask other tutors for help in subjects that he wasn’t an expert at, that the manager understood the schedules of the tutors, and that it was paid work that has helped him get summer internships (my presumption but having a job helps you get other jobs).</p>
<p>One of my coworkers worked fulltime while she got her chemical engineering degree. She worked as a security guard on the night shift where she could study most of the time in between rounds.</p>
<p>But, our son makes about $80/week in his tutoring job. There’s a little taken out for taxes. So our number would be a bit less than $80.</p>
<p>Oh geez.</p>
<p>Of course I know several people who do work study, but that’s not the same as having a part-time job by choice - I got the vibe from this thread that work study wasn’t being discussed (maybe I didn’t read it closely enough). I know maybe two girls who are full-time students who work just to “have a job” and make extra money. Good for them! </p>
<p>By free time, I meant free time during the week to have a part-time job. I don’t know many people who have a lot of free time during the week to have part-time jobs (other than the work study people - but that’s required of them). I usually take Friday nights off to preserve my sanity, but that’s about it! I guess I could work then if I had the desire to.</p>
<p>*
Of course I know several people who do work study, but that’s not the same as having a part-time job by choice *</p>
<p>Choice??? Uh, I choose to have some money to pay for the things that my job or work-study pay for. Choice??? LOL I choose to have money to pay for my laundry. I choose to have some money to put gas in my car. Oh fun…choices. </p>
<p>Anyway…The point was about time to work a part time job. “Choice” or “no choice” doesn’t create extra time in one’s schedule. LOL (Or does having work study mean that you’re given 26 hours per day??? ) Those who do work-study have time to work their jobs AND get good grades. You claimed that people at your school don’t have free time to earn any money. That’s not true. Those who do work-study at your “so called non-party school” have such time. That’s the point.</p>
<p>BTW…do you really think that none/few of the students at MIT, HYP, etc have part-time jobs? My nephew is at MIT and he has a part time job. My cousin is at Stanford, and he has a part time job. My nephew is at UCLA and he has a part-time job. Oh wait, maybe those are party schools where they have the time to work. hmmm… I’ll need to tell them that. They need to go to a real school like UNC, I guess.</p>
<p>As another poster mentioned, we told our daughter that during the school year her ‘job’ was to go to class and get grades high enough to retain her scholarship. That scholarship is ‘pay’ enough for that timeframe.</p>
<p>However, during her summer break, she is absolutely expected to work. She is even able to work during her ‘winter’ break (which falls from one wk prior to Thanksgiving to New Year’s…PERFECT for a temp. holiday job!). She is responsible for all funds to pay for books and supplies (she is an art student, and her supplies budget can be huge) as well as all discretionary spending.</p>
<p>We told her…once we pay tuition, room and board the well is dry. She either makes the money herself or remains poor for the year.</p>
<p>She was lucky enough to get a summer position at the same place she worked last holiday season, and they’ve been giving her 40 hours/week. She’s working her tail off this summer but loves seeing the bank account get fat. </p>
<p>She’ll go back to school in September with more money than she had last year, knowing that with careful budgeting it will last her all the way until spring without needing to work during school.</p>
<p>If a student is on full scholarship, then it is important for them to maintain that scholarship and keeping up grades is job one. We have posts here in December/January and April/May on students losing their scholarships and that is a very tough thing to deal with.</p>
<p>On the other hand, jobs provide work and life experience. Being a Teaching Assistant or Research Assistant while you are an undergraduate can earn you bonus points when applying for graduate school or business employment. You may also learn an area of expertise that highly interests you.</p>
<p>Our son went into college with a year of credits so he can take a lower credit load to do contracting work or research work during the regular school year.</p>
<p>My kid worked all the way through college, usually with at least 2 separate part time jobs (sometimes more) – and maintained a GPA of 3.9+. No scholarship in her case – but the point is that it is very possible to work and keep grades up. She was at a reach school for her – elite college with very high expectations. She also had time for fun and socializing, though perhaps not as much as she would like-- but she often worked extra hours specifically to raise the money for the fun stuff, like earning enough to pay for concert tickets. </p>
<p>Parents can set whatever expectations they want for their kids – my only point is that there is no particular reason why part-time work would adversely impact a GPA, nor is there any guarantee that kids without jobs will spend more time studying. I do think that my d’s jobs might have caused her to limit or cut back on EC’s that might have required a substantial time commitment – so the factors might be different for student-athletes or students with similar demands on their time.</p>
<p>If college students are in class for 15 hours a week the recommended study time is an additional 30 to 45 hours per week. That makes a total “work” week of 45 to 60 hours. If the school, and the course of study, make this a reasonable expectation - the OP’s parents are being cautious about their child keeping the nice scholarship that he has. They are not necessarily encouraging laziness, they know their child. If academics are the priority the long term earning potential will certainly outweigh a minimum wage job.</p>
<p>But - the OP should be looking for internships and work experience during the summers, starting next summer. It will be valuable in many ways and won’t interfere with academics as the #1 priority.</p>
<p>My mom couldn’t afford to give me more than $100 every month. I did fine with that until I got a job second semester. I also had a full scholarship, so she wasn’t paying tution. I wasn’t expecting her to give me anything, so it was really nice of her. My laundry was free, so it was really just school supplies, buying snacks, the occasional night out, etc.</p>
<p>I did work in college, though, every semester after the fall of my first year. I worked 10-15 hours per week and I had PLENTY of time to do everything I needed and wanted to do.</p>
<p>As mentioned before - some majors are very time intensive, performing arts, architecture, some science majors - and any other major where the student is either double majoring, major/minor or bumping up semester credits to graduate on time with the extras or early.</p>
<p>My child has a scholarship that runs out after 8 consecutive semesters. Her plan is to take 15 hours 1st semester to adjust to living away from home and college life in general, and then most semesters will be about 18 credits due to her foreign language minor. If she can handle an on campus job after the first semester with 18 credits then she will have extra spending money. Other than that I’m planning on $100 a month for snacks and extras when she’s not working (we’re on a tight budget). I suspect our family budget is much different from the OP’s but I think I have a similar focus as the OP’s parent - my child can’t afford to lose her scholarship with lackluster grades and she needs to graduate on time; some kids seem to handle the “school is my job” approach while others don’t.</p>
<p>when our D moved away to SR college, after months of drama and how we were terrible parents, we provided $50 /wk ( $200 mthly) and had access to view her transactions. She did not work at the time. The first time she 'blew her funds on a cell phone bill" that dad was supposed to pay and then concert tickets, the funding ceased. </p>
<p>Now 2 yrs later, she works part time, has income of about $200 mth , funds are very tight, she doesn’t have time to or seem to care to do the party scene now, and seems to manage financially. We help her here or there w/ a gift card or a full tank of gas, or a pair of tennis shoes. We do not give her cash at any time.</p>
<p>So to answer the question, initially we provided $200 mth for her away at SR college.
Hope this helps.</p>
<p>S’s college, one of the pricier ones (almost $53,000 for room, board, tuition, fees) expects that students will save $2,300 from their summer earnings and earn $1,800 during the school year from on-campus employment, working 8-10 hrs./week. The $1,800 should cover spending money during the year. S will be playing a varsity sport and I think around forty percent of the student body plays at least one, so working 8-10 hours/week probably is not too burdensome if that is the expectation. This is his first year and he will have no car at school, so we are going into this assuming he will earn the $1,800 and cover his spending money over the 10 months.</p>
<p>My daughter spends 200 to 300 a month at school. We give her 200 a month. She works 12-15 hours a week, dances 6 to 8 hours a week, and few other ECs. She is doing 2 majors and a minor, and her school is known to be a hard school. Her GPA is pretty good. It takes very good time management for her to do it all. It is normal and manageable to work while in school.</p>
<p>My daughter is doing a summer internship now. She said her school life is a catwalk compared to her work life. She works from 7am until after 9pm. She said sometimes she doesn’t even time to go to the bathroom.</p>
<p>Calmom is right, whether you need to work or not, it is important to have a job while in school. It will help you get a job later. Employers want to know you could hold down a job, and able to multi task.</p>
<p>Agree with Calmom and Oldfort. While we can afford to give more, our Ds’ monthly allowance from us is $100. They both work summers and elected to take part-time campus jobs, on top of major ECs and active (greek) social lives at challenging colleges, where they both earned good grades (I actually don’t know their gpas, but I do know they have only ever earned As and Bs). </p>
<p>Most students take 2 -3 hours of classes, 4 days per week, which leaves plenty of time to study and work and have a fulfilling social life.</p>
<p>I agree how busy you are depends on your major. When I was a music education major, I was taking 10 classes and 16 credit… <em>shudder</em> never again. I don’t know what I was thinking.</p>
<p>“Most students take 2 -3 hours of classes, 4 days per week”
Where did you get that?
Most student would have 3-4 hours, 4/5 days a week.</p>
<p>16 class + 16+ study + 8 work-study = 40+
That’s my schedule for this semester. Now add the x time to be president for a club and secretary for another. Plus student teaching at a local school for a class. Two more clubs that I’m really interested in if I can fit it in. And when you’re free, it doesn’t mean your friends are so there’s advance planning and rarely is it spontaneous let’s go hang out.
I think of school like a full time job except I’m not getting paid but the opposite.</p>
<p>I would love to have an allowance so I don’t have to work that 8 hour and catch some sleep and have more chance to hang out with friends. I never nap until I discovered it in college and boy does it feel good whenever I get the chance. I sleep everywhere. On a table, my friends dorm on the floor/futon, not my hall lobby the most(common area where people of my friends hang), on the floor of practice room, in the car, in the library. And sometimes my bed if it’s closer to walk there and to the next place.</p>
<p>Sure they can squeeze in a job. Could doesn’t mean should. We can just agree to disagree.</p>
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<p>You are right - I miscalculated. Most students take 4 classes per semester that meet 2 - 3 times per week. Many students have one day a week (usually Fridays) off from class. This leaves 3 entire days with no classes that can be used to study, work, EC, or sleep.</p>
<p>I just looked at my younger son’s schedule. He’s double majoring in Chemical Engineering and Biology for pre-med. </p>
<p>He’s taking 17 credits. He’ll be in class the following hours…</p>
<p>Monday - 6 hours
Tuesday - 6 hours
Wednesday - 2 hours
Thursday - 6 hours
Friday - No Classes</p>
<p>So, he will work his part-time job (tutoring for the school) for 3 hours (11 am - 2 pm) on Wednesday and 5 hours on Friday (9am - 2pm). He doesn’t work any evenings or weekends, so he still has plenty of time for homework/study/projects and some clubs and such. </p>
<p>He’s in class or lab for 20 hours per week. That’s less time than when he was in prep school when he was in school from 7:50am to 3:15 pm 5 days a week with only 25 minutes for lunch. </p>
<p>He doesn’t have any 8 am classes.</p>
<p>*If a student is on full scholarship, then it is important for them to maintain that scholarship and keeping up grades is job one. *</p>
<p>Of course! However, typically to keep a merit scholarship, schools only require something like a 3.5 or so (some schools only require a 3.0 or 3.3). Any school that requires anything higher should probably not be considered or the student should negotiate a lower req’t before accepting the scholarship. </p>
<p>I don’t think anyone is advocating working a part-time job that requires lots of hours or won’t be accommodating to a student’s schedule. I do think that many/most majors can accommodate working 6-8 hrs per week. I realize that some majors - such as performing arts - requires oodles of practice/rehearsal time, so that may not permit a part-time job during performance seasons. </p>
<p>However, the belief that those in engineering or science majors just don’t have any time to work even 6 hours per week is a bit silly. I come from a family of engineers, physicists, and MDs. Heck, I worked full time while pursuing a masters in Software Engineering! My family went to good schools and all worked part-time and got excellent grades. Like I said before, not many kids are studying on Friday afternoons and nights.</p>
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<p>Reminds me of a comment on the College Life forum I saw a while back. Something to the effect that all of the asian kids in her dorm were studying on Friday nights.</p>