Paid Work In College Essay

Students come to college to have a career. This can be a result of previous work experience, parental pressure, etc. Some of these students are the first generation to attend college. College can be very challenge and some of these students might drop out. We must realize as future student affairs professionals that college is not a one size fits all. In order to help students effectively, student affairs professionals must cultivate programming that helps students with develop their vocational identity and help those first generation college students find their passion for a future career. Vocational identity can happen through work experiences. According to the Handbook of Adolescence, “experiencing the reality of paid work may prompt adolescents to seriously consider, often for the first time, who they would like to be (or not be), or who they could be in the world of work.” The can be facialite via internships or informational interviews. These informational interviews can be very informative. For instance, when looking at …show more content…
Some of parents support their children to go to college because they did not get that same opportunity. Other parents on the other hand, see it as a waste of money. Depending on the situation, one could help that student come up with was of “selling” college to their parents. One example is that the student wants to become a teacher, enough though the salary for a teacher is not that great, debt from student loans has potential to be forgiven. Another way students can convince their parents is working while going to school. This could be a distraction from school depending on the number of hours, but parents appreciate the increased autonomy and independence that is usually associated with work. In the end, first generation college student will benefit from the environment of college and learn what he/she wants to do for a career as a