I was pretty skeptical about getting a summer job. Yeah, I wanted to have some extra spending money and feel like I was being productive, but I didn’t want to feel like I was losing my entire summer. So far, getting a job has actually been one of the best decisions I’ve made all summer. Here are the five best things about having a summer job (in no particular order).

1. Spending money

Obviously this was a major motivator for me, and for most people, to get a summer job. It’s always nice to have some extra money to spend right now or to save for something bigger later. My plan from now on is to start saving part of my paycheck and then go on a fun trip later, maybe during the winter or over spring break.

2. Productivity

One of the biggest things that suck about being home for the summer is that I feel like I’m being seriously unproductive. But, since getting my job I feel like I’ve been super productive. Partly because I need to wake up super early (at least, early for me) every morning to be on time and spending the whole day at work makes me feel like I’m doing something meaningful, but mostly because I’m not spending days on end vegging out on my couch.

3. New friends

Since I haven’t consistently been at home since I was 14, I don’t have many friends still in the area. One of my favorite things about work so far is that I have been able to meet a ton of new people and make some new friends. Work has definitely improved my social life quite a bit, so I definitely appreciate that.

4. Gaining knowledge

I know that last thing most people want to do during summer vacation is spend a ton of time learning new things, but I love that I have that opportunity right now. I’m picking up a lot of valuable skills that will be helpful later in life. And with all of the training I’m getting, on top of just day to day work, I’ve learned a ton in just a few short weeks.

5. It's fun

I had a feeling that it would be kind of nice to have a job, but I never thought I’d have as much fun as I am. Like I said, I was pretty skeptical about it for a while there. But really, there’s nothing better than really enjoying what you’re doing. And, I’ve got something to come back to during winter break and next summer.

All in all, I haven’t really found any downsides to having a summer job. If I wanted to go on vacation for a few days, I just have to let my boss know a few weeks in advance. So I’m really not missing out on anything at all and I’m having a great time doing what I’m doing. Basically, if you’re trying to find excuses not to get a summer job, there aren’t many.