“Consider This:” is a series about different situations that we as college students run into. “Consider This:” will look at the pros and cons of these situations and will hopefully give you enough insight to make a good decision.
For those of us who are still college students, summer has moved just past the halfway point. In just less than a month and a half we will be crowding back into dorms and classrooms ready to give another nine months to education.
Some of you will spend these 9 months just studying and reading, others will split time between studying and fun, and still others will try to balance studies, fun, and work (because we know no of us ever spend our time just goofing around). Balancing studies, fun, and work is a difficult thing. It takes a very disciplined individual to be able to keep grades up, keep a job, and still find time to have a social life. Consider the following # things as you plan for this next year.
1) Do I need a job?
Many students work as a way to help pay for school and related expenses. Some others work just to have a little bit of fun money. It all boils down to what you want to do. If you are able to keep up with school payments without getting a job, and you don’t want to get one – then don’t! If you need to get a job because school is just so darned expensive – keep reading.
2) Should I work On Campus or Off Campus?
A Director of Student life at a smaller college near Philadelphia said it best this way. “When you work on campus your employer (the school/college catering service) understands that you are a student. When you work off campus your employer just sees as an employee.” Basically, on campus jobs allow for scheduling flexibility and convenience, whereas off campus jobs might pay better, but you may end up sacrificing other parts of your schedule.
3) What job options are available?
If you are looking for an on campus job, the best place to start is the Financial Aid office. The Financial Aid office usually takes care of posting student job opportunities, so contacting them is a great place to start. If you know what you want to do on campus, for example lawn care, the you can probably contact the department directly which in this case would be the maintenance department. If you are looking to work off campus Craigslist or Yahoo! HotJobs are great places to start. Just choose your city or locale, and explore your options.
We hope this helps steer you in the right directions as you seek employment to conquer this high cost of college. As always, if you like what you read, be sure to pass it on to your friends!
-mycollegedebt team
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