Being a student is hard. Adding a job on top of that can be challenging, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. During my freshman year, I was an out of state student trying to soak everything in. I didn’t have a car and there was no way I could fit a job into my hectic life. Or so I thought, until I applied for a position that has worked perfectly for me. I realized that working while in college can be fun, and if you manage your time efficiently you can balance your work life and your school life. Plus you gain a lot of professional development at the same time! I will let you in on the perks and benefits of each of my three positions.  Maybe you’ll see how one might be a great fit for you as well.

Assisting Freshmen  

I am a Resident Assistant (RA) in a freshman residence hall serving over 600 residents. Being an RA has been one of the most challenging and most beneficial aspects of my college career. There are the obvious monetary benefits, such as my university provides room and board and a stipend for all RAs. There are also other intangible benefits which really make the job an exciting experience.  Helping a resident with their first-year struggles is rewarding. Seeing the change that most residents go through in their first year is very inspiring. Additionally, getting professional development opportunities are some of the best parts of the job. I have enjoyed learning more about myself as well and how I handle certain situations. I have grown a lot as a person through this experience and have lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Representing My Peers

I work as an University Ambassador for the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management. This job also pays a stipend, and has different benefits associated with it. Part of that job is talking to fellow students to learn what they like or dislike about the program. I love talking to other people and getting their views on things.  I really enjoy this job because I feel like I have an impact on my school and can do something to improve it.

Combining Campus Experience with Corporate Experience

Through my job as a Pearson Campus Ambassador I use my campus experience and gain corporate experience. This is a cool opportunity to talk to students, professors, and other professionals alike to learn from them and help them learn from me. I get to talk about new technology and things that are happening in the world of Pearson as well as get feedback to pass along about what Pearson can do to improve.

No matter the job, I think having something to do is always beneficial. While making money is always nice, the friendships and life skills I have learned from these jobs are invaluable to my life after college. I will never regret having jobs during college and am excited about where they have gotten me so far!

Do you have a job on campus? If so, tweet your experiences with it when you retweet this blog!