One of the most enjoyable parts of having a part-time job is getting that paycheck. It doesn’t feel like getting money from your allowance or receiving some holiday cash; it’s far more fulfilling. It’s like looking in your wallet and seeing all the time you spent working hard given back to you, so that you can buy whatever you want or need.  

However, learning to be responsible with money is incredibly hard, and often stressful. I’ve always been an impulsive person, so even if I set a budget, I tend to trick myself into thinking it’s okay to go, “a little over budget,” and by the time I get my next paycheck, I end up right back where I started.  

Some tips I have been using to avoid this are to set a realistic budget for the upcoming two weeks and to buy things I need before buying the things I want.  

At my job, I often have to check families in or communicate with parents. As someone with social anxiety, the idea of talking to people I don’t know was scary at first. I was overwhelmed with the idea that these people I was checking in wouldn’t like me or that I was doing something wrong.  

However, as time moved on, I learned how to not care what people thought of me, and just presented myself as fun, friendly and professional to everyone who came in.  

Having mastered social interactions at work has also helped me socialize with my peers outside of work and in many ways. Working has taught me how to be more positive with myself and realize that not everyone’s going to like me, and that’s okay. 

Working has also helped me learn how to balance my schedule better. It’s difficult trying to balance out my school life, work life, home life and social life. Juggling these four things that are equally important to me has put me in a position where I have to sit down and break down my schedule on a calendar.  

This skill has helped me a lot in life, because now I always know when I’m busy and when I’m not. This is perfect for making plans with friends, knowing when to schedule time off work and being able to communicate with my parents in case my schedule doesn’t align with theirs.  

Overall, working is more than just receiving a paycheck, it gives you valuable experiences and skills that can help you in more than just the work aspect of life.