Earning While Learning: Modern College Student Financial Strategies

This essay delves into the financial strategies of modern college students, highlighting the trend of "earning while learning." It examines how students are balancing part-time work with their studies to achieve financial independence and secure their future careers. The essay uses examples of students like Brian Douglas, who utilizes blogging to generate income, and Cynthia Lorenzo, who is pursuing additional skills to enhance her job prospects. It contrasts the motivations of current students with those of previous generations, emphasizing the shift towards career-focused financial planning. The essay also references external sources discussing student debt, the challenges faced by student parents, and the evolving landscape of various industries. The overall argument underscores the importance of proactive financial planning and skill development in today's competitive environment, providing a roadmap for students to succeed in their academic and professional lives.

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Earn while you learn and enjoy this dream run
Earning money and earning the best moments of your life are two different things. College life is
the best phase of life, there is no doubt about that. It is really fun to enjoy the world under a
shoestring budget. However, the generation of the college kids thinks differently about it, they
want to enjoy the world on a shoestring budget but the shoe strings should belong to an
expensive pair of Nike shoes. In order to support their youthful dreams many youngsters are now
working part-time. Various universities are supporting this culture.
“Do you know, recently IDBI offered me a platinum credit card”, says Brian Douglas, a student
of Chicago University. Why do you think that IDBI is offering a card to a degree student at
Chicago University? The answer lies in the fact that Brian is a proud owner of a blog and making
his money by promoting technical brands. His income tax return file is strong. Even after making
a good amount of money Brian wants to continue his studies because he is aware of the fact that
in the coming future the things are going to get even more difficult because machines are
replacing human beings.
Cynthia Lorenzo is living a triple life, she is a student in the nursing college in Florida, after
attending her regular classes in the college, she visits a local Repatriation center where she is
working as a nursing assistant. After spending an exhaustive day in college and hospital, she
spends three hours in studies for an online course (Douglas).
“Additional skills are a guarantee that you will never go jobless,” says Cynthia. She further adds
that “these skills make sure that your suitability at your job will never come under scrutiny”.
Cynthia is now planning to join a course in the management as well. She feels that heavy
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commercialization of medical services and an inclination towards value-based patient care will
change the landscape of the industry very soon (Puglo). A degree in the field of management will
support her during this phase of this industrial transition (Umarji).
College kids of the 21st century are planning their career very seriously. They are not leaving
any stone unturned to secure their place in the industries of the future. This phenomenon also
gives us an idea that the previous generations were working as part-timers because they were
keen to earn their pocket money. However, the present generation is looking for something else.
They want to secure their future and support their studies with their own efforts.
A recent story published in CNBC markets discussed the case of Bronsyn Foster, mother of an 8-
year-old kid, this lady completed her graduation at the age of 40 and bagged a prestigious job
(Nova). Author Annie Nova presented her as a role model for the baby boomer generation.
Students like Brian and Cynthia can also be presented as a role model for the 21st-century college
kids.
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Bibliography
Douglas, Danielle. "Student debt is hitting African Americans the hardest. These experts have a
plan to fix it." The Washington Post (2019):
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/student-debt-is-hitting-african-
americans-the-hardest-these-experts-have-a-plan-to-fix-it/2019/09/20/5f786e48-d0fb-
11e9-b29b-a528dc82154a_story.html.
Nova, Anni. "1 in 5 college students are parents. Schools could be doing more to help them."
CNBC Market (2019): https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/22/colleges-could-be-doing-more-
to-help-parent-students-with-children.html.
Puglo, Michelle. "Why Your Doctor May Need More Education on Nutrition." Health Line
(2019): https://www.healthline.com/health-news/why-doctors-may-need-more-education-
on-nutrition.
Umarji, Vinay. "Not in top-15 colleges in the US? Indian students turn to UK and Canada."
Business Standard (2019): https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/not-
in-top-15-colleges-in-us-indian-students-turn-to-uk-and-canada-119091901586_1.html.
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