Why do parents insist teens get summer jobs vs. working on academics?

Parents Forum
161

It is amazing to me that so many people can’t see that each student is different. As a parent, I think that the best use of summer depends on the individual students strengths and weaknesses. The most important thing is to use the time effectively to make the student better in some way. Too many families fail to do anything at all that develops their kid. A student may work or improve their academics, but either one is much better than doing nothing.

Many students who do not have strong academic skills work at lot of hours, both during summer and during the school year. They also often begin working early in high school. For students who do not have solid academic skills, this is a big risk unless it is already decided that the student will not pursue college. The student is clearly learning about the real world, but the chance of this kid graduating with a bachelor’s degree from any college is not very good.

Working is fine, but when the average ACT score is a 20, more students should be using the summer to enhance their academics, and it does not have to be an expensive program. It can be as easy as reading books, doing a 30 minute math assignment every day, or spending time learning about an interest area they have in school.That would not preclude the student from working, but for at risk students, academics are more important. Furthermore, working can be good, but in many cases volunteering can provide an even better experience. Consider all options.

162

Many students can read a book and earn money in the same summer!

163

^ and chew gum too :smiley:

Whatever the motives of the OP, this is one of the better topics I’ve read on CC lately.

164

Let’s be honest. I’m a lower middle class person who lives in an economically and socially diverse area. Uneducated. So the kids who are getting 20s on the ACT are in my neighborhood and in my family. The sad truth is that there isn’t an either/or choice for them. They can’t get jobs no matter how much they want them. The economy has been devastating for young people, particularly young men of color, and they aren’t getting summer jobs. In many places, jobs for teenagers are a luxury reserved to people with connections (who already have enrichment or prep classes and involved parents pushing them to read) and transportation at the ready, and who already have the clothing and social skills to be hired. It’s not the kids who are already the most academically and financially disadvantaged who are choosing to work over academic enrichment.

The kids who are getting the jobs are probably doing just fine on the ACT and other academic markers, and it’s just a matter of choice and a matter of a few small degrees either way. I would love to see data, but I’d bet the super-tippiest-top college applicants are the busiest and do a bit of everything. Sometimes all at once!

165

Summer job is a great EC.

And some people can’t afford a summer program.

Or aren’t interested in what they offer.

166

Then how do you explain all the teen jobs programs that are successful? The Wash DC teen jobs program works well. These students aren’t picking between an internship at GE a or a summer studying in Cambridge.

167

Teen jobs programs are fantastic. Just not enough of them.

168

This IS an interesting topic, despite the OP’s myopic take on it. For example, I had no idea that some people though that life guarding was a waste of time, or that not everyone thinks that it’s possible to do academic-related work and an actual job in tandem. Or that some believe that good colleges do not value honest hard work at honest jobs.

I do note the irony of the OP choosing as their “dream school” one that prides itself on its co-op program in which students take 5 years to graduate as they take time away from studies to…work, and yet says that the reason many colleges have 5-year grad rates is that too many students…work rather than do academics.

169

@zoosermom “The kids who are getting the jobs are probably doing just fine on the ACT and other academic markers”

Many of them are, but many are not. Remember that 74% of students are not meeting basic college readiness standards. It can not be that students with summer jobs are all from the other 26%.

I am from a working class family too. In our family we took a lot of criticism for our D advancing her academics, practicing her sport, and volunteering in the summer instead of working. Her six cousins older all began working when they started high school. Only three of the six cousins achieved ACT scores that were at or above college readiness standards. None of the three who did not achieve the readiness standards were able to complete their bachelor’s degree, and none of them are still enrolled in college.

The greatest failure in this country is that so many students are performing way below their academic ability and both the schools and the parents do nothing. Then they fail to complete high school, fail to complete college, and are not able to contribute what they could have to the country. Using opportunities like the summer to get kids back on track could make a huge difference.

170

Working on academics during summers is counterproductive and it does not serves its purpose at all, it defeats it!!
Another point - many Merit scholarships do not pay for summer classes.

171

74% of the students who took the ACT didn’t meet the standards, but only 52% of all students took the ACT, so it’s a very full picture of the entire population.

172

Anecdotes? My kid scored a 35 on the ACT and worked both in summer and during the school year, from the beginning of high school. Does that mean that working correlates with high test scores?

173

More anecdotes. I scored mid 30s on my ACT despite working. Mr R scored low 20s and never had a job until college. I don’t think anyone I worked with as a teen didn’t graduate college.

Regardless, it might interest the OP to know that there are several studies which show that students who work part time in college do better than those who don’t. No, correlation doesn’t equal causation but it’s still worth noting.

174

I worked in high school (retail) and worked 2 jobs over the summers. I kick butt on standardized testing AND got into the OP’s dream school, lol.

175

@OHMomof2 “Anecdotes?”

Anecdotes are appropriate for my position that the highest, best use of the summer depends on the individual kid. Others are asserting that work is always best. Anecdotes can not support that view.

I can demonstrate my position just by finding one exception to the work is always best rule. In contrast, supporting the work is always best rule can not be supported by anecdotes. It only takes one exception to disprove the rule. Logic 101.

Unfortunately, most posters lack those skills and continue to prove something is always true via anecdote and ad hominem. Sigh. It makes them feel good, but they are still wrong.

176

I’m wondering since OP had to “fund raise” for summer programs how OP is paying for NU?

Still hasn’t explained “fund raising.”

177

OP is probably finding bandaids to repair his bubble.

178

Possibly your anecdotes would be relevant if the assertion being “disproven” by you was that working leads to higher standardized test scores. I haven’t seen anyone make that assertion here, though.

179

@miamiDAP “Working on academics during summers is counterproductive and it does not serves its purpose at all, it defeats it!!”

How can it be that more learning is harmful? Any evidence for this assertion? (Not an anecdote please).

@zoosermom “74% of the students who took the ACT didn’t meet the standards, but only 52% of all students took the ACT, so it’s a very full picture of the entire population.”

I think about 4 million students go to college every year. Roughly half of the take the ACT and the other half take the SAT. I am sure some take neither.

It is true that it is not the entire population, but it is still close to 1/2 of the students, so it is reasonable to think that it is a good rough assessment of the status of the population. I would not be surprised if the percentage was a bit better in SAT states, but I would be surprised if it were significantly better.

If you are questioning whether it is true that the majority of high school students are not college ready by the ACT definition, I have never seen any evidence that this is not true. I believe it is a well accepted fact. Do you have some information about that that I am not aware of?

@OHMomof2 ‘Possibly your anecdotes would be relevant if the assertion being “disproven” by you was that working leads to higher standardized test scores. I haven’t seen anyone make that assertion here, though.’

I said that the highest, best use of summer time for a high school student may depend on the kid, and is not always working. Several posters disagreed with that, and believe that it is best for all high school students to work.

I am not opposed to working at all. If a student can find a job, and no other situations apply then I think it is way better than just sitting around. The learn more than they think they will, and they earn some money. That is great!

However, for some students, bolstering their academics may be more valuable, especially if the are in the 74% of students who don’t meet basic college readiness standards. Recruited athletes may be better off focusing on their sport. A student with a special talent may be better off investing in developing that talent.

Now do you understand why you can’t demonstrate that working is always best by anecdote, but I can disprove it with one?

180

So what if the family/student does choose not to work but to study study study and then there is no money for college, even with a slightly higher test score? If those with an ACT of 20 bring it up to a 23, it’s probably not going to result in a different college acceptance or big scholarship dollars, but the $2000 from working might have made a difference.