Student life is supposed to be fun. At least when I was one, there were multiple chances to let my hair down. We were a group of friends who would go on short trips during our free time. Our vacations were a fun-filled time. Upon re-joining the school, the memories of our trip were the motivation for what lay ahead.
Alas, we noticed there were a few students for whom the vacations were pretty stressful. They had to pick up jobs during that time. These jobs completely drained them out, leading to a frustrated reaction on coming back.
Read More: General Outlook Of A Graduate Student
If you are confused and in the dilemma of whether to work on vacations, here is why we think to avoid it:
Lack of Motivation
First and foremost, continuously working reduces the motivation felt for other jobs. After coming back from your work, you think sapped out. Thus there is hardly any time left for you to go out and relax. Apart from that, once you go back to school, you don’t notice any change.
For you, it is like a regular day; the only difference is in the change of setup. It is hard to concentrate on what is happening in the class, with all your energy drained out.
Read More: What is the Student Council?
Some classmates of mine who were working during vacations would often avoid taking up responsibilities. Eventually, it was just a few focussed kids who would enjoy their school term.
Health Issues
At the outset working during your vacations may be a way to go out from home. But, such kids do not realize the importance of relaxation. Having leisure activities and enjoying your time is equally necessary.
As I said, we all made a group and indulged in activities that kept us happy and healthy. Most of us remained healthy to start a fresh new term. On the other hand, working round the clock made some of the students prone to insomnia. They were stressed and tired, leading to breakdowns and mental issues.
Read More: What Is a Non-traditional Student?
Stress
Even in the vacations, getting a healthy workplace is a 50-50 chance. Most of such vacation jobs are easy money but require backbreaking work. Students who want to earn easy bucks find such jobs satisfying,
However, some students in our class joined as parents pressurized them to do so. For such kids, there is no end to the stress these jobs create. Employers expect that you put in your best effort. The inability to cope up makes the entire process too stressful.
Productivity
For students, school life has its share of ups and downs too. Like we had to prepare presentations, submit assignments, finish homework, and all that within our daily schedule. There is an expectation for our jobs that we must be able to match up.
Read More: Should Students Have Homework?
Our response would never have been possible if we had been working hard during vacations too. Our mind remained relaxed, and after such fun, we were raring to go. The output of our efforts in school, therefore, was fruitful. Getting back to studies was not an exercise but an enjoyable affair.
Reduced Exposure
Our team had an adventure during the vacations. Apart from that, we also met many new people and learned things not taught in schools and colleges. We used our free time to visit libraries and museums. The information we acquired proved useful when we joined school later.
However, if students are working, they get the only experience in the field they are working in. There is no other learning happening. Plus, the time that they are left with gives them little chance to the mix-up. The job was more of a burden which they would find difficult to tackle every day.
Social Life
I feel that student life is when you get the opportunity to make new friends. Going out with your group is something I enjoyed during my stay in school. Since school days had their share of tasks to finish, vacations were something I eagerly waited.
But, for my other classmates who were working, the vacation was no different. They had their hands filled always. Whenever the group would ask them to join for a fun time, they had to refuse. Mostly they were busy to the extent that having any leisure activity was too much to ask.
Read More: How Much Is Amazon Prime for Students?
Neither were they indulging in any recreational activity nor getting a chance to revel with friends. It is a setback to children as this is the only age when you may build interpersonal relationships.
Excitement in Life
Everyone loves some amount of thrill in their lives. If we continue doing the same things, life tends to become very drab and boring. It is essential to take breaks from your regular schedules so that you can experience the excitement. As students, the opportunities for us to break free are limited. So we used to grab all the chances that came our way.
We did all the planning of the vacation beforehand. It was an anxious wait, but eventually, we would strive to put our plans in action. This kind of adventure made us look forward to each day as it came.
Sometimes I think about how things would have shaped up if we had to work every week. At least for me, not getting any recreation is too painful even to imagine. This thrilling part of my life makes me get up first thing in the morning, and all students should follow the same philosophy.
Read More: What Is an International Student?
Conclusion
Student life is supposed to be the most carefree time of our lives. That is because kids wait for the future with stars in their eyes. With the anticipation of what lies ahead of them, they step forward. In such an excellent phase of life, taking additional responsibilities would only stifle their growth.
Student life needs to have the passion alive in it. This drive to excel in prospects makes the waiting interesting. We decided to break from our routine jobs and use our vacations as a period of leisure. That made our future engagements exciting and engaging experience.
Eric Bleumink International Fund at the University of Groningen, Netherlands
