Working

248

One of the best ways to develop relationships with instructors and administrators on your campus is to get an on-campus job. Generally, your on-campus supervisors will be much more flexible than off-campus employers in helping you balance your study demands and your work schedule. You might not make as much money working on campus as you would in an off-campus job, but the relationships that you’ll develop with influential people who really care about your success in college and who will write those all-important reference letters make on-campus employment well worth it. Consider finding a work experience that is related to your intended major. For instance, if you are a premed major, you might be able to find on-campus work in a biology or chemistry lab. That work could help you gain knowledge and experience as well as make connections with faculty experts in these fields.

If an on-campus job is not available or you don’t find one that appeals to you, an off-campus job is also a good way to meet new people in the community. It’s important that you restrict work to a reasonable number of hours per week, however. Although you might feel that you have to work to pay your tuition or living expenses, many college students work too many hours just to support a certain lifestyle. Be careful to maintain a reasonable balance between work and study. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking, “I can do it all.” Too many college students have found that doing it all means not doing anything well.

Many institutions have co-op programs in which students spend some terms in regular classes and other terms in temporary paid employment in their field. Although such programs will usually prolong your education somewhat, they have many advantages. For instance, they offer an excellent preview of what work in your chosen field is actually like, thus helping you determine whether you have made the right choice. They also give you valuable experience and contacts that will help you get a job when you finish school; in fact, many firms offer successful co-op students permanent jobs when they graduate.

co-op programs Programs offered at many institutions that allow students to work in their field of study while enrolled in college. They offer valuable experiences and an excellent preview of what work in the chosen field is actually like. Also called cooperative education.

Alternating work and school terms might be more suitable for you than eight or ten straight terms of classes, and it might help you keep your ultimate goal in mind. Co-op programs can help you pay for school, too; some co-op students, especially in technical fields, make almost as much, or even more, during their co-op terms as their instructors do!