Unless you’re lucky enough to be in a situation where money is not an issue, at some point during college you realize that your constant Chipotle eating and late-night Ubers have fully drained your bank account and you only have solution: get a job. There are many opportunities in college towns to find employment, whether it’s serving at that cool local bar or selling clothes if you’re near a mall. On-campus jobs are absolutely ideal, but are usually few and far between without a work-study grant. For those who don’t know about the multitude of perks that come with working on-campus, here are 10 of them.
1. An incredibly flexible schedule.
One of the many perks of working on-campus is that the university is required to schedule around your classes, and even then are very understanding about anything inhibiting your ability to work (extracurriculars, tutoring, office hours, etc.). You’re a student first and worker second, and the university understands that. This also means you get paid to do your homework some of the time — and it really cannot get any better than that.
2. Free food…all the time.
If you work as a student assistant in a university office, chances are you don’t have to bring your own lunch a majority of the time. From office parties to random donut deliveries, you’re going to be pretty well fed.
3. No weekend work (usually).
Unless you work at the campus gym or dining hall, most on-campus offices jobs are Monday-Friday, which gives you an opportunity to play hard after working hard.
4. Readily available resources.
Free printer? Check. Stapler? Check. Copier? Computer? All of the things you need but don’t always have access to are suddenly available at your disposal, whenever you need them.
5. No commute or need for a car.
Unless you commute to school already, one of the best parts of an on-campus job is just that: it’s on campus. Gone are the days of searching aimlessly for a parking spot or getting caught in traffic — you can walk to work from the library, to work from your dorm. It’s the good life.
6. Homework on the clock (!!!!)
No, this isn’t a dream. If you get all of your responsibilities out of the way and don’t have anything else to do, employers usually let you do your homework to knock it out. They understand that you’re a student first (hence the term student worker) and are extremely understanding that sometimes you have to multitask.
7. Work you don’t take home with you.
Adult jobs usually require you to either take some of the work home with you (literally and figuratively) or stress about it once you’re off. Most on-campus jobs are nice to have in college because it adds no stress to your pile of class-related anxieties — once you clock out, you don’t have to worry about anything.
8. Being the first to know about on-campus events.
Working on-campus generally lends itself to being pretty in the loop about what’s happening on campus. Whether it’s a themed night at the dining hall or an important guest speaker put on by your department, you can usually say you were one of the first to know.
9. Opportunities to meet new people.
Most on-campus jobs are filled by other students, which gives you a chance to meet people you wouldn’t have the chance to meet otherwise that are all around your age group. Work is more fun when there’s people to share it (and complain!) with.
10. Connections, connections, connections.
if you’re lucky enough to find an opening in a department or office related to your major, you basically unearthed a goldmine of connections and references. If you need an answer or a letter of recommendation, you have a ton of options from which to choose; just take your pick.