Nicole Martorell, Contributing Writer
How many college students can say they love working a part-time job, plus going to school, plus trying to find time to have fun? Not too many. Is having a job on campus any different from your part-time job at home? Do students typically like working on campus or do they feel it is just another job? Oneonta provides many different job opportunities for students on campus, whether it be in the library, the gym, a dining hall, Starbucks or others.
Rachel Priore works at the information desk in Hunt Union and she really enjoys her job. “This is one of the most envied jobs on campus”, Priore claims. She loves working in an environment where she has many opportunities to meet people. Priore stated, “I have a great relationship with my fellow coworkers”. She has worked out a good system to ensure balance between her job and her studies. “I am in a lot of clubs along with my job and school. I have two planners and I write everything down so I know where and when I have to be somewhere,” Priore said. By keeping track of everything she is able to juggle multiple activities on campus and still do well in her classes. The information desk is not a very busy job on campus so it allows her to get her some homework done during the down time. Priore stated that “for the most part we are pretty slow except when there are information sessions.”
Starbucks is another popular job on campus. Kayla Wong just started working at Starbucks and she loves it. “I have met a lot of friends working here; all of the employees are friends and we like hanging out outside of work,” Wong stated. Since Starbucks is one of the on-campus hot spots, it is busy the majority of the time. She has a solid schedule worked out so she can manage school and work while still doing well in her classes. “I have my classes in the morning, I have a break in the middle of the day to do home work, and then I work at night,” Wong said. She is also thankful for the operating hours of Starbucks. “It closes at 9:30, so I like that I don’t have to work late hours,” she said.
There are different positions available at Milne Library as well. Students work at the front desk, the Tech Center and at Jazzman’s coffee shop. I talked to Julie Dzurita who works at the front desk. “This is my forth year working at the library and I really enjoy it,” Dzurita said, “Working at the front desk is a great opportunity to get some homework done. I have a lot of down time which is great because it gives me a chance to do some homework.” She is happy to have a manageable amount of hours, so she is able to do well in her studies. “I work five-hour shifts, 15 hours a week,” Dzurita said. The library is also nice because they move you around so you’re not always on the front desk: “Sometimes I am on the front desk but other times I am shelving,” she stated.
The dining halls on campus arguably have the largest proportion of students workers. Jen Kraus is a junior here and the front desk: “Sometimes I am on the front desk but other times I am shelving,” she stated.
The dining halls on campus arguably have the largest proportion of students workers. Jen Kraus is a junior here and havbeen working in Mills for two semesters. “The hours are really flexible; if you can’t work a day there is always another person you can switch shifts with,” Kraus stated. The dining halls are the perfect place to meet other students, Kraus went on: “I actually met one of my best friends working in Mills.” She likes that everybody rotates through different stations so they aren’t always doing the same thing. “My favorite station to do is the salad station–I like making the food and I am not huge fan of the dish room,” Kraus said. The hours make it easy to balance your school work and your job. “I work eight hours a week and only have one class on Mondays and Wednesdays,” she stated. She is able to keep her life stable because of the flexibility of the job hours and the large employee base.
So the verdict is in: students love on-campus jobs! Jobs on campus are not like other part-time jobs you would have at home. They’re a great way to not only make some extra cash for the weekend, but also to meet other students and develop long lasting friendships. It is convenient for students who reside in dormitories and the hours are very flexible. So if you want to enjoy your next job, start looking as early as possible for a job right here on campus.
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