Benefits of having an on campus job

By Tahira Taqi on October 5, 2012

The summer before my freshman year of college, I was focused on what my first semester would be like. When I got an email midway through the summer about student media jobs on campus, it hit me that I will be an adult, living on my own, and that having a job might be useful. There were so many different options to choose from: The OU Daily newspaper, Sooner Yearbook, Sower magazine, advertising, or production. Since I spent four years in high school on yearbook, I decided to venture out and applied for a job at The Daily.

Although during my first couple weeks of classes I felt that having a job and doing well in classes was impossible, I am glad I stuck with the job. Working three shifts a week plus having classes started to feel overwhelming, but after I learned time-management and started scheduling everything into Google calendar, working has been a lot better. That is one benefit of working: learning time-management. There are some days that I have to stay in the newsroom until 11 p.m., so I have to plan out my time wisely. This useful skill is very beneficial and helps even on days I don’t work so that I don’t have to cram everything into one long all-nighter of studying (which I have yet to do).

Some of my favorite memories so far have come from being in the newsroom with my co-workers. Meeting new people and branching out is another benefit of having an on campus job. One thing I like about the job being on campus compared to an off campus job is that I actually see the people I work with around campus and can hang out with them outside of the workroom. Most of the people I work with are juniors or seniors, and being a freshman in college, knowing upperclassmen is very beneficial. They give me advice on classes to take and avoid, on activities to do and be involved in, and just general life advice. Also, I probably wouldn’t have met most of the people I work with if I didn’t have a job at the newspaper, and this opportunity allows me to branch out and meet other people with majors in the Gaylord College. Plus, the people I work with never fail to make me smile and laugh, something much needed after stressful weeks in classes.

A big reason many college students get jobs or join clubs is to build up their resume for future job applications. This is another reason having an on campus job is beneficial. A future job interviewer will see that you were involved on the college campus, and depending on the job, it will show that you have prior experience. Not only will it help with job applications, but internship applications as well. Being an intern at least once during college, hopefully twice, will be very helpful when applying for jobs after college. Internships provide experience in the field you are hoping to enter, so starting with a job on campus will give you something to add to your resume.

Let’s face it, the real reason people usually get jobs is to have extra cash. And that is definitely an added benefit of having a job. Not fitting into the stereotypical “poor college student” can prove to be a challenge, with all the new freedom and the new experiences that come with college. So having a job can help, whether the money is used to go out with friends, go out to eat, or hit up a local concert with friends.

If it’s possible and fits into your schedule, consider looking into on campus jobs. Colleges usually have a website devoted entirely to different on campus jobs, allowing you to search and sift through them all. Having a job keeps me busy, but I prefer having something to do, and it has been a great experience so far!

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