11 ms·

I understand the point you're trying to make, but this just isn't true. If you work 20 hours per week and make $12 / hr, that's $12k per year. It's even more if

I understand the point you're trying to make, but this just isn't true. If you work 20 hours per week and make $12 / hr, that's $12k per year. It's even more if you assume that you'll work more hours during summer and breaks. While that might not make a huge dent in a $50k / year private school, it would cover most or all of your tuition, books, and fees at a lot of good state schools. This also ignores the other benefits of working, such as health benefits, connections, experience, etc.

pmb 17y ago
He said "summer" job. 10 weeks * 40 hours/week * $12/hour = $4800 And that's if you can get a $12/hour job in the current economy. Working halftime certainly can make a little dent in your debt, but it also makes it hard to take a full load of hard classes.
- Retric 17y ago
  A friend of mine worked his way through school 10 years ago making 7.25$ per hour as a cook, and supported his wife at the same time. He graduated in 4 years but it took a 40 hour work week while in school and 60 - 80 hour work week in the summer to pay for a state school. However, he graduated without debt. PS: His senior year he got a 13$ per hour internship at the coast guard, but he kept the cooking job until he graduated because the internship was not full time.
  - eugenejen 17y ago
    Sorry for being spelling nazi.It is "Coast Guard", not "Cost Guard"
    - sophacles 17y ago
      Maybe it was a secret shopper organization :)
gamble 17y ago
The drawback is that you're spending significant amounts of your time working and commuting instead of studying. Realistically, there's also a limit to how professionally-relevant a job you can get while working part-time. I worked summers, while taking classes during the third year of my degree, and participated in a coop program. The summers and coop program were great, but I regret working while in classes. The money I made wasn't worth the hit to my marks and comprehension of the material. In retrospect, I'd have been better off taking a bit more debt and concentrating on academics. Also, when my father went through school, his summer job not only paid for tuition and books, but gave him spending money and paid for his car, gas, and insurance. I couldn't afford a car until well after graduating, and even then with insurance and gas it cost a quarter of my paycheque. Had I done the same thing, I'd have needed a year-round part-time job just to cover the car.

pmb 17y ago

He said "summer" job. 10 weeks * 40 hours/week * $12/hour = $4800 And that's if you can get a $12/hour job in the current economy. Working halftime certainly can make a little dent in your debt, but it also makes it hard to take a full load of hard classes.

Retric 17y ago
A friend of mine worked his way through school 10 years ago making 7.25$ per hour as a cook, and supported his wife at the same time. He graduated in 4 years but it took a 40 hour work week while in school and 60 - 80 hour work week in the summer to pay for a state school. However, he graduated without debt. PS: His senior year he got a 13$ per hour internship at the coast guard, but he kept the cooking job until he graduated because the internship was not full time.
- eugenejen 17y ago
  Sorry for being spelling nazi.It is "Coast Guard", not "Cost Guard"
  - sophacles 17y ago
    Maybe it was a secret shopper organization :)

gamble 17y ago

The drawback is that you're spending significant amounts of your time working and commuting instead of studying. Realistically, there's also a limit to how professionally-relevant a job you can get while working part-time. I worked summers, while taking classes during the third year of my degree, and participated in a coop program. The summers and coop program were great, but I regret working while in classes. The money I made wasn't worth the hit to my marks and comprehension of the material. In retrospect, I'd have been better off taking a bit more debt and concentrating on academics. Also, when my father went through school, his summer job not only paid for tuition and books, but gave him spending money and paid for his car, gas, and insurance. I couldn't afford a car until well after graduating, and even then with insurance and gas it cost a quarter of my paycheque. Had I done the same thing, I'd have needed a year-round part-time job just to cover the car.