Think about the last job that you had. It was probably part time, maybe in retail, and likely involved dealing with a lot of cranky people who wanted you to drop everything you were doing and serve them. I can relate; I used to work as a cashier at a grocery store and I can remember very clearly several instances where I just wanted to pack it up and high tail it out of there forever. (Especially when that guy started humming the “Jeopardy” theme song while I was bagging his groceries. I fought hard to rein it in that day.)
Go on campus!
So why am I bringing up so many bad memories? To tell you that it gets better when you start working on campus! Many of you might be thinking, “How do you expect me to keep up with my studies, my extracurriculars and a job?” Here’s your answer:
- On-campus jobs are usually only a couple of hours a week. Fit in an hour here, two and a half hours there and all of a sudden you’ve got 10 hours for the week.
- You get paid above minimum wage. That’s right folks, no having to work six months to get a raise when you work on campus!
- You can get experience in the field you’re studying for. Even if there isn’t a job on campus that’s specifically tied to your major, you can ask your boss if you can get experience in what you want to do. At my job, I got experience for my communication major by getting involved with our office Facebook page and using graphic design to make some promotional posters.
- You get to know the people on campus. I like to think I’ve made a good impression on professors and other students I may run into in the future.
If you’re still skeptical about being able to balance your time, keep in mind that the supervisors at on-campus jobs are very accommodating in working with your schedule because they know how important your studies are. It’s really the ideal way to make some extra spending cash throughout the year without stretching yourself too thin.
And sometimes, if your boss is cool like mine, you’ll even get a box of donuts and coffee thrown in every once in a while.
Until next time,
Laura the Intern
writer@nextstepu.com
facebook.com/nextstepmag
Message me on the Community Boards! (I’m InternLaura)
