The primary goal of attending a college is to get an education and eventually, a degree.
College is a leap towards independency, too. Self-governing is a complex and cannot be achieved overnight. Working while studying adds fuel to this undertaking, and I believe every student should spend a semester or two being a student worker on campus.
Money! Who does not love to have extra cash in their wallet? For those who have to pay for school out of pocket, working a job on campus can help to alleviate the stress of high tuition costs.
Working gives you just that. Having a consistent income can boost your confidence as you are not completely dependent on your parents for finances. Students can work a maximum of 20 hours a week on campus. With this money, one can graduate with less or no debt from college.
In addition to that, students who make their own money are less likely to spend it on frivolous and extravagant stuff. Working will make a student value money more and be wiser with their spendings.
Apart from the money, a student worker cultivates career skills like proper work ethics, attitude, communication skills and multi-tasking.
If your work is related to your field of study then it is sure to enhance your resume. Also, students can apply the knowledge and skills they learned at an on-campus job. Hands-on learning is the best way to learn. These jobs help students get accustomed to the professional world.
In today’s world, a degree alone does not guarantee a job. Employers look for someone who has a good amount of experience in the related field.
And, how can we forget about recommendation letters? You will want someone who knows you really well to write a recommendation letter for you at some point in your career. A boss you worked for while in college is the perfect example of someone to get a recommendation letter from.
As former student-workers, you are a step ahead of the crowd when job hunting after graduation.
Another perk of working on campus is networking.
You will definitely develop professional connections.
While working on campus, you will meet so many different people with different stories and goals. You get familiar with other students when working a job on campus. At times, your work might require you to help other faculties on campus. Gaining acquaintances with multiple people never backfires.
Having said all that, working while studying is not everyone’s cup of tea.
If you are taking lots of credit hours or require many hours to get your assignments done, then maybe on-campus work is not for you. If you don’t have to pay for school, then adding more stress with an on-campus job might do more harm than good. Also, if someone really struggles with time management then they should restrain themselves from this idea.
If anyone wants an extra challenge, to learn to live by a schedule and to make some extra money; then they should definitely search for work on campus.