Should you get a summer job or just relax?

School is out, sun is shining, what’s next?

Summer time has always been my favorite time of the year. I look forward to the warm weather, awesome beach days and relaxation. I enjoy college and taking classes in my major but happily welcome a couple months break as well. But as much as every college student including myself loves not having to study, worry about finals, or having constant academic commitments, boredom quickly arises at home. Plus, by the end of the school year I’m usually broke…

Summer plans

As someone who loves traveling and the outdoors, I enjoyed going to sleep away camp growing up and even into early high school. It was fun getting away from home for a bit, while meeting new people, hanging out with friends, and doing fun activities. Camp always gave me something to do and a new adventure. It was always a blast. I even went to a camp that was beneficial to what I wanted to study in college at the time. I wanted to do Marine Biology, and my parents event led me to to a camp focused on that – that and sailing in the Caribbean. It was an incredible once in a lifetime experience.

However, once I got home, things slowed down and I got a little antsy. It was nice to be home with my family, but I didn’t really do much and didn’t feel ‘productive’. That’s when I wish I had a summer job to make some money and keep me busy. Seeing other friends that had lifeguarding gigs and responsibilities made me feel like I should too – if they were doing it why couldn’t I?

Work, responsibilities and money

The summer following my adventure to the British Virgin Islands for three weeks, I lifeguarded and finally got a job. It felt weird at first to feel stuck at home with obligations and responsibilities, but it was well worth it. It was hard to give up my summer freedom, but that’s life. Plus, who wouldn’t want a little extra money to spend or to save up?

As I always wanted to lifeguard, working was fun. Of course I took it seriously and kept my eyes on the campers’ safety in the pool, but it also felt nice knowing that I got paid to be at the pool and in the sun. Beyond that though, working taught me a lot about myself and how I am professionally. I grew as a person and from my two summer jobs now, still continue to grow.

Valuable work experience

Having a job teaches you professional skills and how to react in certain situations. It’s inevitable that you’ll have to interact with your coworkers and boss/supervisors, so you build your people skills too. It’s much needed self growth and discovery when you enter the working world. I was taught to have more patience, always be on time and to be personable even if you’re having a bad day. As my mom taught me, “it’s nice to be nice”. I definitely brought that with me to work by being a team player among all of my coworkers so we could have a smooth great day.

So… what do I do with my summer?

Summer is a fantastic time of the year. The couple months are a great break with a lot of free time. But to keep yourself busy and to make a little money, I would definitely recommend a summer job as soon as you can start working. Not only does it look good to future employers after college in the ‘real world’, but you meet people, have a rewarding form of responsibility, gain lifelong skills, and of course get a source of income too. There’s always going to be downtime and days off, so you’re not going to be worked too hard and have no leisure time. It’s all worth it in the end.