TOPIC 6

Topic 6: should students do part time job?
Nowadays, many college students take part-time jobs in their spare time. Whether it is good or bad is still subject to constantly debate. Some people believe that taking a part-time job brings about several disadvantages such as: spending too much time, energy doing part-time job, distracting from their studies by the colorful lives in the society and so on. However, taking part-time jobs has at least two benefits for college students in my point of view.

First, students can accumulate work experiences through part time job, which will benefit their future job. Actually, it acts as warm-up exercises for students to take full time job after they graduate and help them prepare for their future careers. For instance, if a law student finds a part-time job in a law firm; his practice will enable him to better understand what he learnt from books. The job can offer him opportunities to go beyond what he has been taught in class, and he will learn something that does not exist in books but in practice. Moreover, working as a tutor also helps students a lot, especially those who are studying at college of education. Students will not confuse when they teach pupils after graduating. So it is easier to find jobs for those who have accumulated experiences in part-time job.

Last but not the least, part-time jobs encourage students to be independent, responsible and can partly relieve students’ financial burden, especially those who are from poor families. First, students need not to depend on their parents for some of their needs like pocket money or buying books. Students also learn to be more responsible as they learn to manage their own money since they have worked and earned it. They know how difficult it is to earn a living, they will be more appreciating what they have and this will drive them to study harder. In addition, College tuition fees have greatly increased in the past ten years due to the new educational policy. Many students come from poor families cannot afford college fees and our bank systems fail to loan college students as effectively as it does in developed countries. So taking part-time jobs becomes a great way for them. Students will mature from their part-time job.

Still many people think that taking part-time job may have some negative effects on students. In their opinion, it will take students a lot of time to work. Instead of going to library or lab for research, they have to go out for working. After that they can be exhausted and cannot prepare for lessons at school. It will affect their studies as a result. However, the curriculum of college students is flexible; it is not as stressful as pupils of high school. They can both attend their courses at school and take jobs such as waiter in the restaurant and hotel, newspaper deliver or tutors. Students can manage their time for working, studying and free time. They will balance their day and not waste much time in front of TV set or party. Why do not we follow the examples of great people in the world such as Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and Marie Curie? They take a job while they are studying at university. And they become famous people now. So students should balance between the jobs and the studies, they will receive good results.

In short, I share the view that only college students who can handle both their works and studies should take some part time jobs. It is a great way for student to start taking their first steps into the working world. After all, it opens students a window to know about the society, which is essential to their maturity.