Why Some College Students Don't Want Part-Time Jobs

As a senior in college, I can tell you a few good reasons why some college students don't want to work part time. The main reason most students give is that during the semester, they want to focus on classes. Depending on your major and your professors, the homework load can be tough. To give you an example, I called my brother a few weeks ago on his 21st birthday. Know where he was? The library. You know you do not have time to work when you spend the night of your 21st birthday doing research.

Not all employers are sympathetic to the plight of students. I have heard stories from the company where my boyfriend works, of college kids begging to have just one night off a week, in order to study for midterms. It's a hard thing to be forced to choose between being fired and failing a test, and in my opinion it's grossly unfair.

Another reason cited for not working is that it is simply not necessary. Between student loans, scholarships, and support from the parents, many students have enough cash to live on without having to undertake the extra pressure of a part time job.

As for myself, I have my own reason for not wanting to work part time. As a senior, the classes I take are only offered once a year and in a fixed time slot. As a result, my schedule is highly irregular; I am available after six on Mondays and Wednesdays, and on weekends. There are few types of jobs that will work with my schedule, and most of these are retail and restaurant positions. And at the risk of coming across as over-confident, I feel I am overqualified for these types of jobs. I have worked in these fields when I was a teenager, and doing so now would add no useful work experience to my resume. Selling clothes at the mall was fine when I was a freshman; at 23, and almost having a four-year degree, it's a little humiliating.

That being said, I would recommend that all prospective grads have some kind of work experience under their belts. Find an internship in your field; disregarding the pay, any practical experience related to your degree will be an asset to you in the future. Working during the summer, or even during the Christmas holidays can earn you some extra cash without it interfering with school.