If I were in your shoes, I would work 7-10 hours per week in a semi-substantive job (assuming a 12-15 credit classload and no 20-30 hour athletic team requirement). that will give you some experience and some spending money, but, more importantly, allow you plenty of other time to "explore" -- and by explore, I don't mean to go hiking, I mean to take classes in subjects that aren't necessarily in your major, to go to meetings for clubs that aren't necessarily in your wheelhouse, to go to bars that have people that don't all look like you, to hang out with your friends, to read, to grow up.

Sure, you may think you know that you want to be a doctor/engineer/vet/lawyer/whatever, but, to me, you don't really know that is what you want to do unless you fully appreciate what that field will be like and are able to adequately compare that job to other fields in which you may be interested. you may change your mind. you may not. To me, college should be a time where you learn, and not just about books. experience all that college has to offer. and if you still decide to major and work in the field that you originally wanted, great. at least you will know what else the world has to offer and be a better person for knowing.

20 is a good max. 10 a good minimum. I worked up to 50/week and don't recommend it. Too tired to even go to class.

I had no idea there was that much wheat, barely and safflower in CA. That's a big crew. Wow.

My first part time job was my paper route at age 11. In h.s. I worked as a grocery bag boy (now a defunct job) and as a dishwasher at the NCO club on a military base plus a bunch of other h.s. type joe jobs. My parents always encouraged part time work as a kid as being "character building" which I agree. Besides, in high school my parents said I could use the car but they weren't paying for the gas. :-)

As undergrad I normally worked about 20 hrs a week and full time summer. I was lucky because I landed a lot of good jobs where I actually learned stuff. In chiropractic college I landed a sweet gig as an orthopedic tech where they trained me in a busy hospital for 4 yrs until graduation. Plus full time in summer. Also landed a superintendent job in a small apartment building as a chiro student. Had to shovel snow, cut grass and minor repairs. A bit of a hassle but I got free rent for the duties.

No real answer to your question but IMHO it builds balance and appreciation if they have a part time job..

depends on a lot of factors:

- difficulty of classes
- how disciplined you are
- how much fun you want to have

Freshman year - did community college (major regret), carried a 4.0 while working 40 hours a week (graveyard shift at 7-11 - not a glamorous position) and sleeping through class, still had 2 days a week for free time

Rest of college - Attended a very good school and then transferred into the business school which was ranked #1 undergrad in country. worked about 15 hours per week, until senior year when I ratcheted up to 20 (needed $ for the bars - drinking 4-5 times per week gets pricey)

I would encourage anyone to either work or volunteer (with a set schedule) while in college. The discipline of time management is crucial. Many that I observed who didn't have to work lacked a sense of urgency (would just fuck around and struggle to get things done on time). I say this as someone who can definitely procrastinate on certain things.

while grades are important, developing good social skills is also very valuable. The person who spends all their time studying to get straight A's, but is socially awkward, may not have the same career opportunities as the outgoing people who get a 3.0 (I'm not describing myself here) and really buckle down when it comes to "real" work.

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There are three kinds of people, those who can count, and those who can't.