You haven't heard about them yet, but you will. Super seniors going onto their sixth year, the student who manages to achieve a 0.0 GPA one semester, the roommate who plays Halo 3 or World of Warcraft every waking hour (and then some), or the party beast who is in a state of perpetual drunkenness. These are the extremes, but they represent a balance problem between work, school and partying that most students must confront at some point during their college career.
You work too much and your grades suffer. You study too much and the bills pile up. You party too much and then the bank takes away your car and you flunk out of school. But fail to take some personal time and you may find yourself little more than a work-study-work-study automaton.
Luckily, Virginia Tech, as the number one employer of students, understands the need for flexibility. During the first job I had at Virginia Tech, working in Newman Library, I was constantly asked whether working was interfering with my studies. And one of the first questions I have been asked in applying for any of the several jobs I've had at Tech is: "How many hours are you taking?"
Most Tech departments and organizations employ students in one way or another. Dining Services offers positions from calling out names to pick up a burger to managing other employees. The library hires students to shelve books or run the check-out counter. University Union and Student Activities (which runs Squires Student Center) needs techs to manage projectors or sound equipment for events. Academic departments will pay students to assist in a professor's research. The list is nearly endless.
Some of these jobs can be found on the VT employment Web site located at www.jobs.vt.edu but I have never found it too useful.
The best way to find a job is to ask. At the beginning of the semester (or before), ask around. If you want to try your hand at research, then your academic adviser can point you in the right direction. If you'd like to cook burgers at West End, then ask for a manager.
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