One of the big differences between high school and college is the amount of free time you have. In most high schools, students are expected to be in class from anywhere between 7 am to 5 pm. While this time may include some club and after-school activities, students are typically in classes back to back with very few breaks. However, this all changes in college. I cannot guarantee that you will be able to freely make your own schedule, that depends on the institution you attend, you will definitely have way more free time compared to your high school schedule. (Though do not let this schedule free time distract you from the fact that you have to put in a lot of hours towards homework, exams, and projects). One of the most important things you can do with your free time in college is to get an on-campus job.
For starters, why should you get an on-campus job?
- On-campus jobs are a great source of income regardless of how many hours you put in. It is always great to have some of your own money that is independent of what you receive or use for tuition or your meal plan. This money comes in handy when you need to travel somewhere or buy food/supplies.
- On-campus jobs can be an opportunity to explore some of your career or academic interest.
- On-campus jobs allow you to become an integral part of the university community and develop as a leader on-campus.
So what kinds of on-campus jobs are there at the University of Rochester?
1. Dining Services
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- Dining Services involves all of the on-campus eating services including but not limited to Peet’s Coffee Shop, Connections, The Pit, Douglass Dining, and Danforth Dining. Students play an important role in helping the shops run smoothly with the volume of students and staff that are served daily. Here, students have the opportunity to learn about customer service and organization skills.
2. Office Assistant
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- The river campus is home to many offices like the Kearns Center, Disability Services, Career Center, and many more. Most of these offices enlist the help of students to run their respective front desks and help desks. Here, students have the opportunity to learn the in’s and out’s of the respective offices as well as learn what it takes to maintain and run a functional office setting.
3. Program Assistant
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- Similar to office assistants, program assistants work with the many offices on campus to develop and run special events and programs of the respective offices. Here, students can learn about organizational and event management skills in addition to serving the communities that the office works to benefit.
4. Research Assistant
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- One of the charms of the University of Rochester is that undergraduates have unlimited opportunities to get involved in research on-campus. Even better, students can also get paid or compensated for the work they do regardless of their department or field of study. Undergraduate students are also not limited to their respective campus, opportunities are also available at affiliates of the university like the medical center or nursing school.
- There are research opportunities for all students in various departments, even if these departments do not match the student’s major so research assistantships are a great chance for undergraduates to explore fields of interest outside of their major.
These are some of the common jobs, but the University of Rochester has much more to offer than what has been listed here as students also get jobs at the Eastman School of Music and other affiliated locations. More coming soon!
I hope this post has got you thinking about some of the ways you can get involved in a campus community while also learning new things about yourself and your interest. Whether you decide to attend the University of Rochester or any other institution, I wish you the best in all of your future endeavors.
Good luck!