College 101
On-campus jobs
Maybe You Should Poop Where You Eat
You know that stereotype about how college students are broke? It's not just a stereotype. Unless your parents own a diamond mine, or multiple race horses, or are Bill Gates, you're probably going to be hurting for cash. We're sorry. It's no fun. On the upside, it's also a rite of passage so that years down the line, once you've forgotten what it's really like to eat ramen for a week, you can reminisce fondly.
Wouldn't you know it? Colleges have a solution on hand: on-campus jobs. It's like on-campus housing, except you get paid to do stuff and aren't allowed to sleep. Okay, so it's the exact opposite.
One thing to keep in mind is that time spent working is time not spent doing anything else—you know, all that stuff that college is supposed to be about. Partying, sports, dating, and…learning. We should have put learning first. When you're working, you're not studying, and that can be difficult. It means packing more into a day that's already bursting at the seams.
Still, if you have to pick between a job at school and a job flipping burgers down the road, you should pick a job at school. Why? Because that other job doesn't care about school. As soon as they hire you, you're just another employee. You have a final? They don't care. Need to study? Not their problem. Try to do homework at the counter? You're fired.
Since on-campus employers are affiliated with the university, they will likely be sympathetic to the fact that you're a college student. This means time off during finals week. Believe us, you will need it. When you're trying to keep up your grades, a little flexibility can save your academic life.
Most campus employers have rules about how much and how often they can put you to work. With the idea that school is the most important thing, many campuses (like the University of California system) only allow a maximum of twenty hours a week (source). You might be thinking that's low, but remember, school is intended to be a full-time job in itself. Putting another full-time job on top of it would be impossible.
Don't necessarily expect a standard paycheck. In some cases, pay is stipend-based. This means you're getting a specific sum regardless. Sounds good, but this sum is also going to be lower than normal wages. You'll likely be getting other benefits, like housing or meals. This ends up making your budgeting a lot easier, as you have fewer things to consider.
The kings of on-campus jobs are tutor and research assistant (source). Not only do they tend to pay more, but they also look good on a resume. Remember, this kind of thing counts as work experience. When you're out looking for a job in your field, what looks better: that you've already taught and done research in your field, or that you sat at a desk waiting for phone calls and doing homework?
You're also staying sharp on what you're studying. This means that time spent at your job is basically time spent studying. You're getting paid to study. That's the kind of racket most students would kill for. It's not even a racket because everyone is benefitting. It's kind of the best possible situation.
Like everything else in college, look at your job as more than just a chance to get spending money. Keep an eye on the big picture, and you can take the thing that eats up your free time as an excellent chance to build your resume and advance your studies…while it eats your free time. Look, it's going to happen regardless.