As kids go off on summer vacation, they finally have the time to see, do, and spend their money on many fun activities with friends and family. However, those activity costs add up, and many students are forced to rely on their parents for money to be able to do the activities they want to. Getting a job that can help them make the money themselves is a timely investment. Having a job over the summer not only allows students to make their own money, giving them independence, but it also gives them a sense of responsibility and real world experience.

Students who earn their own checks are able to recognize the hours it takes to earn a certain amount of money. This makes them value how they spend it. Instead of spending their hard-earned money the minute they earn it, they learn to spend more responsibly because they know how hard they worked to get it.

Not only does work help students learn to manage their money, but they also learn how to manage busy schedules. They need to make sure that their work schedules don’t consistently overlap with sports, camps, or other activity schedules. This new found time management skill will benefit them in future years when they are completely in charge of managing and scheduling all of their activities.

Students receive their real world experience from interacting with a variety of different people and, at a school as little like SPA, students often miss out on interacting with people outside of their small community. Getting a summer job forces kids to interact with a variety of people of different ages, ethnicities, and economic statuses.

Finally, kids experience more independence as a result of making their own money, rather than relying on their parents. This is especially important for teenagers who strive for some freedom.

Getting a summer job not only benefits students short-term by earning money to spend, but it also helps prepare students for college and beyond by boosting their social skills and giving them real world experiences. Students should try to find a job that works with their summer schedules because of the many benefits (and paychecks) they’ll receive.