Money. Having it can make college life a little more bearable, and not having it can make college your worst nightmare.
Sometimes the money your parents put in your checking account just isn't enough to take care of all those credit card bills, weekend road trips and late-night lattŽs.
Many students find themselves taking part-time jobs to cover those expenses Mommy and Daddy won't pay for. There are plenty of jobs available that don't require any experience. So even if your resum is a blank page, finding work is not a problem. The biggest problem might be deciding where you want to work.
Fifth-year Education student Caroline Webster may have one of the best jobs you could ask for. When at work, she's allowed to do most things people do when they're not working; she can watch TV, check her email, or even get some studying done. About the only thing she can't do is catch up on sleep.
"The best thing about this job is the down time," Webster said, about her job at the Housing Division's Key Room. Not to mention the other benefits - Webster and her coworkers receive free University housing as their pay. The five students in the Key Room work one weeknight each from 4:30 until midnight, and they switch off on Fridays and Saturdays. As the title "Key Room" suggests, their main duty is to give keys to students who are locked out of their rooms.
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Unfortunately, not every student seeking a part-time job can get free housing for watching TV one or two nights a week. In the scramble for quick cash, waiting for that dream job to come along isn't always the best strategy.
Second-year Engineering student Nick Holden might give that advice himself.
Holden accepted a clerical job in the Department of Internal Medicine at the Health Sciences Center, and spends most of his time filing patient records. To him, having a job is more important than the nature of his work.
"It gave me an opportunity to fill the time I had between classes and put it to use," said Holden, who works about nine hours each week.
Like many others, Holden found employment through University Human Resources (UHR). This administrative office essentially serves as a matchmaker for students and employers, similar to a dating service. Students complete a short application, describing their qualifications and what kind of job they want. University faculty who want to hire students submit job openings and hiring requirements. When UHR finds an exact match, they send the application to potential employers, who then contact the student.
Lucinda Childs-White is the Assistant Director of the Employment and Classification Management division at UHR. She estimates that on average, UHR forwards each student's application to eight different places.
"Depending on the versatility of the student, that number can go as high as 15 or 20," Childs-White added. About 2,200 undergraduates are now on the University payroll, many having found their jobs through UHR.
Although the people at UHR won't help you find your dream date, they will connect you with as many job offers as they can. Holden heard from six people who wanted to hire him after UHR received his application.
Taking the time to fill out detailed applications isn't the only way to find a job. Talking to people you already know can be an easy way to cut corners and exploit your connections. Tison Campbell has been working in his physics professor's lab for about a year now. The second-year College student spent a semester "hanging around the lab" before he was offered a paying position.
Now he writes computer code for his research group. "I am using computer programs to analyze data that was collected over the summer," explained Campbell, who said he was unable to reveal anything more about his work because researchers often keep their work secret before publication.
Campbell is just one of many undergraduates who do research to prepare themselves for professional careers in science and engineering. Working closely with University faculty on research projects is often a way to beef up your resume and fatten your wallet at the same time.
But some students can't imagine working in a stuffy laboratory, despising it even more than performing repetitive secretarial tasks. Those students who fit this description may find off-Grounds employment to be a tasty solution.
Fourth-year College student Alex Stavisky serves up food and fun at Coupe De Ville's, an American-style bar and grill on the Corner. Stavisky, who works on Tuesday nights until around 3 a.m., also has an 8 a.m. class the next day. Apparently she doesn't mind the odd hours, though. "I really love the people I work with, and I know the people who hang out there. I couldn't ask for a better job," Stavisky said.
Whether you're serving at a restaurant, filing papers in a patient clinic, or writing computer programs for a physics professor, a part-time job is a great way to pad your pocket and have fun at the same time. It can also make you a little more financially independent from your parents, taking you one step closer to the real world.
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