How to Win at College: Surprising Secrets for Success from the Country's Top Students by Newport Cal

Author:Newport, Cal [Newport, Cal]
Language: eng
Format: azw, epub, mobi
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Published: 2005-04-11T16:00:00+00:00

For all you slackers out there, don't start celebrating just yet. Allow me to first clarify this rule. There is nothing wrong with getting a job at college. Many students need the money for work-study and financial-aid packages, and in fact, many students also report that the responsibility of a part-time job puts some much-needed structure into their lives. The key factor here is what type of job you get.

Don't work retail in town. Don't serve food at a local restaurant. Don't paint houses or help move furniture. Don't work at a campus dining hall. Don't file papers at an office. These jobs will be distracting, demanding of your time, and energy draining. Instead, try to find a strategic job at your college. One option is to get a paid position in an academic department in which you have an interest. Being a paid research assistant may still mean a lot of cleaning beakers or making photocopies, but at the same time you are immersed in academia. You will be working with professors and will become very familiar with their research projects. The step from being an assistant to getting more seriously involved with a professional research project is much easier than trying to do the same thing as just another random student. And you will be creating valuable faculty connections. This type of strategic job provides both money and a head start toward succeeding at college.

Another option is to obtain one of your college's many fluff jobs, which include any position that involves sitting in a quiet space while doing a minimum of actual work. This usually means manning an information desk at a library or similar campus building, though other jobs in this category include being a music monitor (i.e., handing out practice room keys) or working the reception desk at an out-of-the-way campus organization. The wonderful benefit of these jobs is that they act as enforced study halls. If you have to sit at a quiet desk, virtually undisturbed, for two to three hours, you basically have no other option but to study or otherwise slowly die from boredom. These jobs can be a great way to add some structure and consistency to your schoolwork.

The secret to obtaining any desirable position at your college is to inquire about openings early. Very early. Start contacting the individuals in charge of the job you want at least a month before the semester begins. Manning an info desk is not exactly neuroscience, so getting hired is more about being the first to ask than any other criteria. A paid research assistant position is a little more difficult to obtain. However, by contacting the department early and showing real enthusiasm, your chances of getting hired are greatly increased. Your faculty adviser, and other connections from the professorial ranks, can also be helpful here.

When it comes to student employment, the bottom line is that unless you have some sort of extraordinary skill, you are going to be paid around $7 an hour no matter what you do.

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