Handling work and school can be a tricky balancing act. As “poor college students,” taking a break from work while going to school is often not an option.
As I was walking around campus one day, I noticed how many different jobs there are for students. Having a job off campus myself, I wondered what it’s like to work at the university.
The first person I approached was Toni Bufkin, who works at the Starbucks and Jamba Juice in the Shepherd Union Building.
“Working on campus is really beneficial because you can get off and run to your class instead of getting in a car and having to deal with traffic,” Bufkin said. “This way, you don’t have to risk being late to either work or school.”
I had never thought about the traffic from work and school, but she certainly made a good point. Coming across fender-benders or construction work on the roads certainly slowed me down as I hurried from school to work.
After talking to Toni, I took a walk through the bookstore and spoke with Jonni’An Martinez. She told me about the friendships she has with her coworkers. Working on campus has helped her become more social.
After talking to a student that worked with food, and another that worked in retail, I was interested to see how a desk job on campus measured up. That was when I visited Thomas Lopez at the information desk.
“The only time that we are really busy is the first couple of weeks of school,” Lopez said. “The rest of the time is pretty slow and I can study at work.”
I don’t know about you, but as a college student, I certainly feel pressed for time as I try to balance my studies and my job. Killing two birds with one stone is a huge benefit.
Ellen Fredrickson, who works at the cashier’s office in the Student Services Building, brought up yet another point I had never thought of. She told me how much easier it was to get involved on campus.
As I hurry out of class so that I can start my commute to work, I don’t often notice everything there is to do on campus.
Fredrickson also brought up that working so close to your classroom makes it easier to pick up extra hours. Working on campus is a great way to save some money while earning it.
“Working in the bookstore, I get a scholarship,” Emily Ellis said. “All of my textbooks are free and school supplies are 30-percent off. It’s great!”
Every student I talked to said two things. First, they all talked about how much they loved the scheduling. The second thing everyone said, without fail, was that they absolutely loved working on campus.
Working at the university, the employers understand how important getting an education is and they are fabulous with working around class schedules.
“There isn’t anything I don’t like about it,” Fredrickson said. “Working on campus is really convenient.”
Are you looking for a job you can handle while going to school? Check out jobs.weber.edu to research job openings and apply for a position on campus.
