[Forward] Don’t make money at the time when you should be learning the most

I found a training institution that specializes in K12 education. After reviewing her resume, they agreed to hire her. Before she started working there, I found out that she had gone abroad to study in high school at her own expense; her family background was good, but she wasn’t rich or poor like most people. So I couldn’t understand why she needed to earn money. Later she told me that she just wanted to earn some extra money. I nodded and watched her start working. In her first month, she earned over 3,000 yuan by teaching classes and revising lecture notes. A few months later, she took me out for dinner, and there she happily told me that all of that money was earned by herself, not given by her parents. Moreover, because of her good performance in teaching over those six months, her supervisor planned to raise her salary. I am well aware that preparing lessons is not easy; at least ten hours of effort are required for every two hours of teaching. I asked her, then do you still have time to study *? She said those things aren’t important; look at our classmates, how many of them can be self-sufficient like me? I continued to ask, So, do you want to live a life as a teacher in the future? She said, of course not; I study economics, and in the future I definitely want to work at an investment bank or in investment – that’s what I want to do. I said, then it’s fine once you’ve earned enough money; just quit if it’s time to do so, and don’t hold on any longer. After all, this isn’t what you want, so don’t spend too much time on it. She nodded.

Later, I realized that what I said was useless, because the boss promptly gave her a raise. Tempted by the money, she continued to take on part-time jobs to earn more. And so, she kept working part-time for three years. Every day, she spent most of her time working, with only a small amount of time spent in classes and the library. Gradually, time spent on output activities took up the majority of her life, while time spent on input activities became very limited. By the second half of her junior year, she was able to earn over 5,000 per month. Yet, despite this, she chose to make money during the time when she should have been learning*, and her seemingly busy and exhausting daily life ultimately destroyed her.

In the year she graduated, her classmates all went to **, the United States, and Macau to work at top 500 companies in the financial sector; she told me that no company wanted her. I asked, why? She said that they all had some certificates and experience, while I didn’t. I said, why don’t you have one? She scratched her head, as if she was embarrassed to explain the reason, or maybe thinking that it was obvious enough already Then, she said timidly, \"Is it still possible to prepare now...\" During those years, her classmates were studying hard, spending plenty of time in the library, and doing their best to obtain any certificates they could; while she worked from early morning till late at night, earning a lot of money, yet she didn’t even take the basic CET-4 and CET-6 exams during her four years in college.

What seemed to be a hardworking life actually ruined four years of college. Later, she didn’t end up working at the investment bank she had dreamed of after graduation; instead, she took a full-time position at the same place where she had worked part-time during her four years in college. I thought that was the life she wanted. I met her a few times afterward, and she asked me to help her find another job, but she hadn’t even obtained the necessary certificates, so it was difficult for me to help. It’s sad every time I see her; she complains that she has made the path narrower. She doesn’t dare to attend class reunions, because during her four years in college she used to be the richest one. Now, her classmates often appear before her with annual salaries of millions, while she can only silently bear the consequences of having to work hard to earn money. Later, I often heard her say that one should not choose to make money at the age when it’s most important to learn. After all, if one does not pursue further studies, those four years in college should be the time when one acquires the most knowledge. As for money, there is a whole lifetime ahead to earn it. However, the knowledge acquired after graduation determines one’s starting point for making money, the speed at which one can progress, and the way in which one views the world.

A few years ago, I wrote an article titled \"Part-time jobs done for the purpose of making money are the stupidest investment,\" and I received a lot of opposition online. Some people said that I had forgotten to consider those who are poor and don’t even have enough food to eat; they need to make money and therefore need part-time jobs. I would like to say that, first of all, if one’s family is poor, it’s even more important to study hard*, to obtain scholarships and financial aid. There are also many apps these days that offer loans to students from poor backgrounds, so that they don’t have to work part-time just to make money at an age when they should be focusing on their studies*. Many forms of poverty cannot be reversed by simply doing some hard work; it requires long-term learning, extensive reading, and thorough reflection. Changing your mindset opens up new paths; reading adds value to your life. Second, what most people call poverty is simply the inability to buy new clothes or new phones; if you feel the need to compare yourself just because your classmates have them, there’s no need to do so. Every new piece of clothing loses value over time, and every new smartphone becomes outdated. However, investing in knowledge and investing in oneself does not lose value – these things only help to increase one’s worth.

Then you might ask, is working part-time wrong? Look, you’re being extreme again; a part-time job aimed at making money is not right. During the four years in college, especially during winter and summer vacations, it’s essential to take part-time jobs, and one must find legitimate ones. The company may not pay you, but two things must be ensured: 1. You can learn something ； 2. I’m sending you the actual* report. My cousin studies film and television scripting; during the winter and summer breaks he helps others distribute flyers. He’s very tired when he gets home. Once I went to see him, and he told me these things so that I would praise him. I asked him, tell me, what can you learn from distributing flyers? If anyone can post, then why go to university? Why choose a major? He was caught off guard; then, fearing losing face, he muttered, \"It can strengthen my arm strength.\" The next day he resigned, and a few days later he went to work at KFC carrying plates. I asked him if that would help strengthen his arms as well. He got very angry and asked me, \"Then tell me, I can’t do this either, and I can’t do that either – what should I do then?\" I said that if you want to study film, you should find a film crew or a film company, submit your resume to them, and even use connections to get in. It’s just one summer vacation, and the key is to learn things that schools don’t teach: such as how to work with others, how to develop a good script, and what types of themes producers and audiences like… He asked, what if they don’t pay? I glared at him. Later, he still went to work on a film set for one summer vacation. The director asked him to revise the script on site, which is the most difficult part of script writing. The biggest challenge when modifying a script on location is the constant changes: an actor might suddenly show up, or a scene might become unusable. He had to talk to various people and listen to their requests and opinions. By the end of that summer vacation, he had even lost several pounds. I thought he would definitely come back and scold me for ruining him. When he returned from the summer vacation, he told me, \"Bro, it was absolutely amazing. You know, the things I learned there aren’t taught at school at all.\" Moreover, during this process I realized there were many things I didn’t understand, and I must work hard in this direction over the next two years. Through one experience, he understood what he wanted, his direction became clearer, and he learned things that school did not teach; although he had no money, the former was more important. Then why prove it? Because once you decide to go abroad, you’ll realize just how important this document is.

So, is it really important? It’s too important. Countless of our students look forward to holidays while at school, and then look forward to going back to school after the holidays; this vicious cycle stems from a lack of clear goals and a state of unsatisfied learning needs. I remember during the winter and summer breaks in college, which sometimes lasted only a little over 20 days, I would either look for a part-time job online or sign up for a course to keep myself busy. Don’t think that youth lasts forever and that you have plenty of time to enjoy yourself; in reality, youth passes quickly—it’s fleeting. During winter and summer vacations, there’s no need to waste so much time.

Some people ask: “Right now, I’m not making any money. Seeing that my parents are under so much financial pressure makes me feel heartbroken.” In fact, parents don’t want you to earn a lot of money; they just hope you learn a useful skill so that you can be self-reliant in the future. Only by having better prospects, a higher starting point, and broader opportunities in the future can one truly care for one’s parents. So, never choose to make money at the age when you should be learning the most. Working hard to make money now might mean having no money in the future. I’m typing desperately now so that I can earn better income in the future. May our youth be without regrets.

Why didn’t anyone explain things to me earlier?:'