Matt:

I essentially did nothing this summer. I had no job. Each day I would float between the country club and my house, with the occasional time with friends in between tennis lessons and rounds of golf. It was fantastic

Of course it would have been nice to have a little bit of extra money to waste on Amazon. Perhaps a tenth pair of headphones, or a phone case with a little comb that swung out from the back. But having a job means that there are things you need to do. Not just want or should, but need to do. No more days where you don’t even look at your phone to check the time or afternoons where breakfast is lunch no matter what you’re eating. Though both my wallet and schedule were empty, I consider it a summer well spent.

Louis:

This summer, I had a job working for a boat cleaning and servicing company on Lake Minnetonka. I’ve been doing this for the past 3 years, and I’m somewhat experienced at it now. Originally, I didn’t want to get a job; I didn’t see the point. My parents pressured me into doing it because they thought that it would be good for me.

At first, it was hard to wake up early but soon I got into a nice rhythm. Cleaning 4 or even 5 boats a day taught me lessons of resilience and hard work. I had lots of additional spending money that I earned myself, which gave me a sense of accomplishment. Nick Crosby ’18 also shares similar views. “[Working] is a valuable life experience and you start a skill set that’s going to be needed throughout your life.”

Some people think that having a job prevents you from spending time with your friends. In my situation, I had plenty of time to spend with my friends due to the flexibility of my boss. Having a job didn’t prevent me from having an awesome summer.