Summer jobs cure boredom and make you feel productive

Why a summer job is actually a blessing in disguise for college students

Madison Diemert
News Editor

Summer jobs. They’re a pain in our butts but also a blessing in disguise. A really really good disguise.

Summer jobs do take away from the relaxation and restoration that all of us college students need, but what would we do without our summer jobs?

Currently I work at a dying Herberger’s in Mankato and most of the time, I hate going into work. I dread it the entire day before and the few hours before I head in. Sometimes I even contemplate faking sick and calling in just so I don’t have to get dressed because pajamas are so much better than pants.

But then I sit and think- if I wasn’t standing around in Herberger’s waiting for the few customers to come yell at me or leaving my post to sit in the back shoe stock with my coworkers, what would I really be doing? I know exactly what I’d be doing. I’d be sitting in my boyfriend’s bed listening to him play guitar and re-watching Parks and Rec for the hundredth time because I solely love Ron Swanson. And while that usually isn’t such a bad way to spend a day or two, I could never spend a whole summer like that.

I think as human-beings we need to have at least a little productivity in our life, otherwise we go crazy. At least, I know I do. And hey, at least I’m getting paid ten dollars an hour to waste my life away in the Men’s Department and taking longer breaks than I’m supposed to because my managers couldn’t care less.

And that’s another thing. Even though these jobs may suck most of the time, we get paid, and God knows college students need money. This money can fund our education, pay for our gas, our coffee addiction, and when we just want Chipotle twice in one week.

So you’d have to say having a summer job is pretty okay. Especially if you get to choose your availability and work as much as you want or don’t want. You get paid for doing minimal work and not feeling like you’re wasting your life away on the couch while watching the Office for the third time.

Plus, if you work, you’ll usually get out of bed before noon and your sleeping schedule won’t be a total mess. Unless you still don’t go to bed early, then in that case you’re probably me.

Summer is a lot more fun when you have money to spend and actually get out of your bed to do something. Even if it is to check out a total of four people in a six-hour shift because your store is failing or sitting around during a night shift at a gas station just waiting for it to be morning.