carl e. rankin
at present there is much discussion as to whether a young man should earn the means for his own education or not. i shall try to give, in this paper, my reasons for working my way through college, and the methods i am using.
my reasons for obtaining the money for my education by my own efforts are threefold. in the first place, i believe that i can get more out of my college course if i have to bear my own expenses. the student who goes to college with the purpose of working his way through will strive harder to make every moment count than the student who has no such responsibility. secondly, i believe that by working my way through college i will be better fitted for life through training in economy. economy is something that is essential to success and happiness. we can acquire it only by long and incessant practice, and surely there is no better opportunity for practicing this important acquirement than during our college days. last of all, i believe that i should work my way through college because in so doing i will be of more service to the world. before a man can be of the most service to the 256 world he must have a broad education that has trained him to reason and observe. he must be able to see the needs of the world and must have the ability to cope with them. thus it is to be seen that if i will be better equipped for my life work by educating myself i will be able to see the real needs of the world, and surely if i am better equipped to see those needs i will be better fitted to take my place in life and cope with them.
there are three methods i am using to earn money to bear my expenses: first, by working during vacation. last summer i worked on my uncle’s farm, and was able to save about eighty dollars. secondly, i do some kind of work during my spare hours while i am at college. in this way i have been able to pay my board. i find the most profitable employment to be that of agency work of some kind, such as selling clothing, ties, college and class pennants, and stationery. in the third place, i borrow some money each year. i am paying interest on this money, and hope to be able to pay back the full amount within a few years after i finish my education. in addition to the money that i borrow, since i am a ministerial student, i receive some money from the presbytery each year. in this way i count on a total of about two hundred and sixty dollars a year.
davidson college, davidson, n. c.
