Students Who Push Burgers

Students Who Push Burgers by Walter S. Minot

     Minot a professor of English,has observed that the quality of his students' work suffers when they take jobs to pay for luxury items. He describes the situation as they buy what their parents won't buy for them, and the parents convince themselves that the kids are learning the value of money.
     He feels students should not work while going to school,instead they should be focusing on their academics. Minot brings up many valid points throughout the essay such as working 30hrs a week, class load of 15hrs a week, coming home after working at night leaves little time for studying.
     He tries to convince the  reader that the decline in educational performance is because of students working or spending their money on fun things or rewarding themselves. Minot states"they worked so that they could spend $60-$100 a week on designer jeans,rock concerts,stereo and video systems, and , of course, cars". He also tries to say  the American economic decline is due to American students working part time where as the Japanese and the European students do not so they will out preform us.
     He neglects to state working part or full time is rewarding or even necessary in order to obtain their education. He doesn't give one example how students can mange their time for studies or any self control over their money. This gives a negative outlook on those students who work.
     In conclusion, yes working will take away time from studies, but in most cases students who work use their time  thoroughly and are more disciplined than their counterparts because they do not have countless hours at their disposal to waste. If a student worked 40hrs weekly I can see where it could be become difficult but students on a 20-30 hr work week have time to study and enjoy their leisure time as well.