5 Things I Wish I’d Known About JOBS When I Started College

At Grockit, we’re all about education and getting you ready to move on to the next stage in your life.  But we’re not just teachers; we’re all former and/or current students, too, and we’ve got more than just test preparation tips to share with you!

Part-time employment and college go together like cheese and crackers; they’re a natural complement.  And as a student, I was no stranger to part-time work-- in fact, I usually had multiple jobs at the same time, doing everything from making balloon bouquets to offering tech support in campus computer labs.  Read on to learn a few tips about employment that I picked up through trial and error!

            1.         Money matters, but you’re in school, so your studies should be your first priority.  Try to find a job that understands the unique scheduling needs of a student.  You want to work somewhere that will allow you some flexibility during exams and other busy times.  These jobs may pay a little less, but they’re worth it in the long run.

            2.         Another perk to look for in student employment is downtime.  Many jobs, particularly on campus, will have time for you to study.  Some that I found were night receptionist in my dorm, computer lab monitor, and parking garage attendant; these jobs let you double-dip by making money AND getting some of your homework out of the way, leaving more time for extracurricular fun!

            3.         Don’t forget about internships-- sometimes working for free is a great investment.  The most interesting jobs often don’t pay anything at all, but they can lead to amazing paid opportunities or to valuable additions to your professional network.

            4.         A part-time job can be a great chance to explore something outside your usual academic sphere.  If you’ve always wanted to know more about urban planning but you don’t have room for it in your course schedule, check to see if there’s an opening in the departmental library, or a professor looking for some research help.

            5.         If you can get a work-study award, it’s an enormous help in finding student employment. In the U.S., work-study programs provide government funds to pay part of your wages for eligible jobs, and that makes you a very affordable employee—take this advantage if it’s offered to you!

Have you had to learn any lessons about college jobs the hard way?  Share them in the comments!

About Grockit: Grockit is a fun and engaging learning community that encourages students to learn from group study, game play, expert tutorials and solo study. Students that prepare with Grockit have proven to achieve higher scores on college admissions tests.

About the author: Andrea Alexander is a current graduate student in the School of Information at the University of Michigan. She's been teaching test prep for about eight years and have picked up lots of helpful knowledge along the way. She specializes in the verbal aspects of test prep, since her education and career experience as an attorney, freelance writer, and editor have given her the background for that.