Why do college freshmen need money?

Student Lounge College Life
61

This is simply frustrating. Let’s disregard the fact this thread’s question was asking why college students needed money. We’ll look past the majority of people lecturing me as to why I need a job. Thank you to the few who provided potential reasons as to why it’ll be a good idea allowing me to take your information and formulate my OWN conclusions.

I’ll be fine with money. I have a 1,000 already. I think shampoo and toilet paper is covered. Hell, I could even go to the movies 2-3 times a year. No biggie. I’ll play along with everyone though and I’ll share what is so frustration:

The point of a job according to the majority of people here is the “experience”. You learn time management, communication, responsibility, work ethic, empathy, and so on. Okay, fair. I don’t think all jobs provide that, but whatever, I’ll play along. I worked last summer (food industry), and I can strongly reassure everyone here that I did not learn a single quality that I previously listed. Not because I was rotten. Not because I just ‘didn’t get it’. But because I already had those skill sets, and the job itself was basic. Someone said they had some employees just stop showing up? That’s unbelievable. I have and would show up on time (usually a little early) every single shift. That seems extremely rude to be late. People count on each other. I know how jobs work. I learned time management in school juggling projects, tests, quizzes, homework. I learned responsibility from my parents as well as most qualities. I don’t need a job for the “experience”. I already have acquired them. Trust me, that isn’t even a debate. You can only read my text, and you don’t have a face to see. I don’t care how unlikely it might be to all (most?) of you.

So here is the real frustrating part. I’m not going to get a job now, so I can tell a future employer I learned the skills I already knew, at this job. Not happening. That is an extremely inefficient use of my time. I’ll have to job shadow and intern at hopsitals (I have no doubt I’ll be able to get an internship) in order to get into medical school, but thats completely irrelevant to this thread. I have it figured out to a degree. I just wanted information on what college kids purchase. Thats it.

Again, thank you to those few who either answered the actual question, or provided work information without using a " I’m older than you. Listen to me. Do as I say I’m a parent to somebody" tone. Don’t get me wrong, I value experience. But there is a certain way to deliver information. Thanks.

62

Actually, that’s not the only message that’s been given here. The main message from those of us who have actually HIRED people before is that we like to see work experience. But go ahead and disregard us. It’s your life, not ours :slight_smile: I am one who doesn’t listen to people just because they have experience so I get it. I’m not saying it’s the smartest thing, but I get it and I still do it. I have a hell of a time taking advice and usually ignore the advice I’m given anyway.

By the way- I have had 4 people from my team go on successfully to med school. Many of them even wrote about the job that I hired them for in their interview as they were working on a research project related to the history of medicine.

Best of luck.

63

Keep in mind I was never looking for advise. I was looking for facts. College students spend money on X,Y, and Z. From there, I can make my educated decision. I wasn’t looking for people to tell me what I should be doing. All the, “Just get a job and stop being an entitled brat” is completely uncalled for, especially since there was so little basis to go off of.

Maybe most college freshmen are completely lost and it almost seemed obvious to go beyond the simple list I requested. I suppose I’m not like most freshmen. I consider myself very bright, and I just wanted information. I’m probably just beating a dead horse here, but I’m truly shocked at the number of people jumping on me. Are most 18-20 year olds complete idiots? I don’t know.

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I guess it is hard for me to imagine an 18-20 year old not knowing that a student needs some money in college for incidentals, so your initial question and then restating it several times is a little naive , and people are just pointing out that the benefits from working are not just monetary. Your parents asked you to work, not just earn money. You may not realize some of the things you might need money for (medical co-pays, deposit on a zip car rental) but you should have a handle on some things listed here like pizza and beer, a movie or two a month). CAN a college freshman live on very little if he has a full meal plan, housing, books paid for? Sure. DOES a college freshman from a wealthy family, as you’ve described yourself, live on practically nothing? No. My kids got sick of the dining room after first semester and spent more money on take out, snacks, coffee, etc. during the second semester. Both of my kids go to colleges that include athletic tickets and a lot of entertainment in the student fees. They still each went through about $1000/sem on incidentals, clothing, entertainment, club sports, sushi, laundry, t-shirts, and they are NOT from a wealthy family and they really do need to pay for all these things themselves. They don’t have cars but sometimes pay for rides. One pays for Netflix and Spotify every month. Both had boyfriends who don’t live/eat on campus so that meant more eating out. Honestly, they are making less this summer than they did last summer, and both will probably have to work during the school year next year. Their choice not to grind it out this summer because they are tired.

Will your parents give you spending money? If so, you have nothing to worry about. If not, you are going to be very limited in your spending choices. It can be done. You won’t go on spring break, eat out much, go to events that cost money.

But a list of expenses: netflix, books, spotify, coffee, smoothies, fast food, nicer food, laundry, copies, sports, video stuff, gas (your car or pitching in), travel (bus tickets, light rail), weekends away, t-shirts, fraternity/sorority or other club dues, intramural sports, supplies for class projects, gifts, treats for roommates or friends, stuff from Target, a dorm fridge, coffee, ice cream, charity donations (you’ll be asked all the time to sponsor a friend or give to the humane society), bike repairs, computer rellpairs, lost cell phone, lost student ID ($20 buck for a new one), cleaning supplies. The list can go on and on.

65

$1000 is plenty… As a commuter, it goes about $250 a semester on eating out and trips.

66

Bad news: most people consider themselves “very bright.”

The evidence frequently suggests otherwise. And book smarts are frequently light years away from street smarts and from real world smarts.

The problem with message boards, as in real life, is that opening a conversation doesn’t give you control over it. You asked. We answered. Nope, we didn’t stick to the script. But that’s how conversations go.

You have the information you requested. At this point, you’re probably right in that it’s a moot point— employers looking for summer help already have it, and have a stack of applications from hopeful applicants. It was probably too late when you posted the question.

But I think that a lot of the adults on this thread are hoping to convince some other high school student, who also considers him/herself “very bright” to learn from this conversation.

You’ve obviously made your choice, and we wish you the best of luck.

But my 17 year old has a job.

67

What do you need money for? Hello! Beer!

We didn’t give our son any spending money. He had to earn it all himself. Ya… he hated his job too, but having a suckie job just made him appreciate the money he did earn. He quickly learned the value of money because he knew how painful it was to earn each and every dollar. That was clearly not a lesson many of this peers had learned because according to my son, their parent’s money ran like water through their fingers.

Our son took about $1500 to school. He spent it judiciously and he had enough at the end of the year to fund a beach trip with his friends. You would be surprised at how quickly the money goes: movies, date nights, weekend trips, alcohol, pizzas etc. It adds up.

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Don’t forget the loose change needed for tightening the knob on the cupboard where you keep your peach schnapps. And the small bills for degreasing your bicycle sprocket.

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I hope the OP listens to some of the advice here, but even if not, other kids will see the thread.

Not only adults see people like the OP as “entitled” - kids see it too. When I was in college, we definitely had our opinions about the spoiledness of kids who “called Daddy” whenever they needed money. And the ones who said, “my parents just want me to focus on schoolwork because that is my job” just seemed ridiculously naive. Most well-adjusted undergrads that I knew, had jobs in the summers and also at least 6-8 hours of part-time work on campus during the year. Potential spouses/SOs will also see whether you know the value of a dollar from personal experience.

In the olden days (maybe this still applies for cell phones?) - it was important to have your own money to spend on things like long-distance phone calls to your boyfriend that you didn’t particularly want parents or anyone else to be deciding the worth or frequency of.

The right way to leverage wealth for a 17yo, if it is truly believed by all parties that an entry-level minimum wage job wouldn’t build appropriate skills (dubious IMO) - would be to do, as others suggested, a volunteer internship with parents paying a “wage” for this work.

My 17yo has a job this summer. Last summer, he had three volunteer gigs to build experience. There’s something really special about how he felt to see that first check of his own earnings get deposited. The kind of kid who is ready to be on his/her own, loves that feeling of independence.

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I hire law students. I would absolutely prefer someone had worked at Red Robin than had never held a job or probably even one who worked in a family “office.” I KNOW food service people work hard.

This thread reminds me of when I was in law school and my very bright roommate, who was #3 in our class and who had never had a job even scooping ice cream, was hired at a firm, had exposure to clients, billing and had a secretary. It was a mess.

71

Why I wanted my kids to have summer jobs:

  1. Low risk entry into the work force. You get a job and learn how to “work”…that is, have a boss, coworkers, do tasks, get a pay check, abide by rules, get to work on time, deal with customers etc. If you have a horrible job, you can always quit and find a new one.

  2. Appreciation of college: By working a minimum wage job, you appreciate that this is not what you want and will work hard in college to get a better job.

  3. Appreciate the value of money- Its easy to buy those $5 starbucks when someone else is paying for it.

  4. Have money to spend. I pay for my kids tuition/room/board/books, but anything else you want is up to you to pay for. Pizza, going out to dinner, spring break, movies, haircuts, etc etc are up to you to pay.

  5. Resume: If you have never worked before you try to get a real job, the person hiring might ask why not. DOesn’t seem like a good work ethic. Also you won’t have any references.

  6. Fairness: Now that you are out of school, I don’t want to pay for your car and smartphone while you just hang out doing nothing. You are a teen/adult and can contribute to the household.

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I don’t really know why you might need money. However, I hired a lot of high school kids over the years. Generally speaking, they were not terribly driven when it came to picking up extra hours. BUT – when they came back from freshman year to work for the summer they were all about working every hour they could get. Returning college students are HUNGRY. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to pick up some cash before you go to college.

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I know that I responded to this a while back, but I want to add something.

My sister went away to a four-year college, and it was quite pricey for my parents. However, my parents wanted her to have a good education and wanted her to have that college experience. My sister had various jobs throughout high school; she never liked sticking to one job, and when she went to college, it really bit her in the butt. She would desperately try and find jobs on her winter, spring, and summer breaks, and when she eventually did get a job, the break would almost be finished, and she had to go back to school. Therefore, she didn’t earn much money during her breaks from school.

Because of my sister’s job instability, she would constantly phone my mom for money, and it bothered me because my parents work hard for their money, and I hated to see them transfer money to her when she was very capable of working. All she would do was spend her money without second thought. This motivated me to get a job and keep it. I have worked at a grocery store for three years now, and they have been very cooperative with my school schedule. I am a commuter student, so I can work at my job for a few days during the school week. When I was a junior in high school, my mom would always tell me to stick it out and stay where I am because it is hard to find a place that will hire college students because their schedules conflict so much with a job. My mother was right, and I am glad that I have the job that I have even though it is a pain sometimes. Isn’t any retail job like that?

Now that I have finished my first year of college, I am glad to say that I didn’t have to bum money off my parents. They work just as hard (actually harder) for their money than I do. I also paid for my first semester in full. I like the feeling of independence. You don’t want to be a sponge your whole life.

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@math112233441, please keep us updated. Will be curious to hear about your experience in college.

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@math112233441 , I don’t think you are spoiled.

I’m not gonna rant, I just have 2 questions(feel free to private message me) and 2 statements of facts and 1 conclusion. What do you plan to do after college that requires no prior work experience, isn’t a “soul sucking” job, that will give you as much money as you are use to having coming from a wealthy family? (i recommended you Private message me that)

Now that I asked that (and i really expect that you answer because i am looking for jobs like that :slight_smile: ) lets forget about your future for a minute. No jobs, no resumes, no networks. Next, reading though this thread, i count more then 30 things mentioned that a college student will need money for. Why aren’t you accepting that? You told @romanigypsyeyes that you wanted facts, not advise. You were given facts, but that didn’t seem like enough considering the you didn’t post that you everything was fine.

I don’t think your spoiled. I think you just need to be hit hard by the reality of day to day expenses. Including things like shampoo, soap, appliances, tools, entertainment, school supplies, printing, trips(sometimes back home), club membership registration fees, to name a few of the things that college students need to pay for.

Finally, it is a major part of the college experience. Not so much as the money, but the lack of money that you will have. For some reason experiencing having very little (or nothing) with other people, just like you, can make life long friends. So essentially, if you do not try to get a job in college, don’t think about just what you won’t get. Think about what you will loose.

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Total hijack, but YAY!!! MY 15 year old daughter just had a call for an interview for a summer job!! They called her this afternoon, she went in for the interview half an hour later, and she goes in tomorrow for trainng.

So maybe I was wrong a few posts back, and it’s not yet a moot point!!

The only one in my family not gainfully employed this summer is my 12 year old :slight_smile: Both my 15 and 17 year olds have jobs…hopefully not “soul-sucking”, but jobs nonetheless!!!

77

I just finished my first year of college. I am currently working but I just put in my quitting notice a couple days ago.

I have developed this theory that you shouldn’t work as an undergraduate unless you need the money. You can work only if it is in the area you are studying.

For instance, I majoring in computer science. I should focus on school work throughout the school year and then apply for software engineering internships during the summer. Thus when I graduate, I have experience and I have better chances of landing a new grad software engineering job at a well respected company.

Why would you be working in an area where it doesn’t advance what you plan on doing with your career?

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“Why would you be working in an area where it doesn’t advance what you plan on doing with your career?”

@BernardAI - because you’re not Donald Trump; you’re 19 years old and pretty inexperienced and probably not the best candidate for a job in your field. Don’t assume that someone is going to hire you for a job in your field. Completely aside from many other benefits of typical student employment such as meeting people in your campus community, or working in quiet places like the library with perks like study time - or dining halls with perks like food. :slight_smile:

“I should focus on school work throughout the school year and then apply for software engineering internships during the summer. Thus when I graduate, I have experience and I have better chances of landing a new grad software engineering job at a well respected company.”

As employers on this thread have told you, people who show that (a) they can balance schoolwork with a part-time job, and (b) they don’t consider themselves “too good” for menial tasks - are more hire-able. You will be in competition with plenty such people, even in CS.

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@fretfulmother, I think you are taking my argument out of proportion. I also do not completely understand your argument against my position and your last argument is not true.

I think it’s beneficial to work throughout college whether it’s as a library assistant at your university. I happen to be nineteen and I understand that gaining any sort of experience is vastly important. The job I happen to be quitting is my first job and I have developed a large quantity of values: be compassionate, communication is of upmost importance, and so on.

For reassurance, I think you should focus on your studies if you can (emphasis on the if you can). It’s great that one can balance school-work and a part-time job. I am not against that but in my perspective, I would only like to work in the area that I have a passion and drive for.

80

This thread is reminding me why I have to stick out the rest of the summer in my ten-hours-a-day summer job, so thanks, everyone :wink: