On-campus jobs give students the opportunity to gain real-life experience that can help set them apart after graduation. However, various downsides have left some students wondering if the extra line on their resume is worth it.

Campus jobs offer student workers such as Amelia Beck more than just a paycheck; they provide valuable skills for the future. As a sophomore biology pre-med major, Beck appreciates that her position at the library’s front desk, like similar roles at the Natural History Museum, allows her to use her downtime to study.

“I work 11 hours per week, which is the max number of hours a library student worker can work,” Beck said. “The bulk of what I do is check in and check out study rooms, and the occasional library book. The rest of the time that I am clocked in is a lot of studying.”

This semester, the hourly pay for student workers increased from $7.25 to $8.25. Despite this raise, some students still feel their responsibilities are not adequately reflected in their paychecks. One such student is Kaitlin Lavery, a sophomore construction management major and a 04-student worker, who assists a professor by creating lessons and grading assignments.

“Nobody can live on this pay,” Lavery said. “It’s all going into my savings to buy a car.”

Not every on-campus job provides the same experience, and for some students, budget shortfalls have led to an overwhelming workload. This is particularly common in understaffed departments, where a lack of employees forces student workers to take on more duties.

While the pay is consistent, for $8.25 an hour, there is a conversation to be had about the responsibilities put on to student workers. Is it a good representation of the “real world” or should ULM put more work into supporting its students?