Counting their big bucks

I work all night, I work all day, to pay the bills I have to pay
Ain’t it sad
And still there never seems to be a single penny left for me
That’s too bad
 
So goes the Abba song Money Money Money. But unlike the thought in the lyrics, Anushka Dalal is happy to keep working and adding to her bank balance. “When I finished my Class 10, I decided to earn my monthly allowance and find work that would add to my resume,” says Dalal, who is pursuing a degree in Commerce from Mumbai’s HR college. Her parents supported her, knowing fully well that knowledge can be gained only through hands-on experience. She interned with ad agency Lintas, which kept her busy through her vacation. “My stipend and savings helped pay for my trip to Europe with my sister. The need to be financially independent has always been my motivating factor,” says the 19-year-old. 

For 19-year-old, Nagpur-based Madhuri Motwani, it was about being self-reliant. “I decided to get a part-time job after my Class 12,” says the final year BCA student from Nagpur University. Motwani worked part-time at a call center for two years, and is now a customer representative at Amazon. “I am proficient at juggling my studies along with the hours spent in office,” she adds.

All for the family

Born and brought up in Udaipur, Reshma Ramesh moved to Mumbai, to pursue her undergrad, in 2012. “My parents used to pay for all my expenses,” says the 20-year-old.She was 19 when her father lost his job, and Reshma started working full-time at a call center to make things easier for her mother. “Although juggling work and college can be exhausting and takes its toll, I am happy,” says the final year Sociology student at Mumbai’s KC College.

Rishabh Teerath started working part-time, in his early teens, to support his family. “My father had an angioplasty.” To contribute towards the medical expenses, he started designing websites on a freelance basis, and currently has two clients. He attends college, goes for basketball practice and gets to work post-dinner. “I work from 11 pm to 3 am. I get Rs 5,000 for each project,” says the final year BCA student of Soft Vision College, Indore.

For Psychology student Radhika Patney, working as a tutor for school students is a good way to support her single mother. “It becomes difficult when my exam dates clash with the exam dates of my students,” says the 19-year-old Amity University student. Parents invariably ask her to spend extra time teaching their kids. This eats into her own study time.“It’s hectic, but the smile on my mother’s face makes it satisfactory,” says Patney.