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.
And always keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities. I've done everything from grading to moving a library to designing circuits for an electronic-textile rug, and I found each job from a different source: a friend or in an e-mail sent over a listserv or in a notice on the cluttered bulletin boards.
The wages that Tech offer varies greatly depending on your responsibilities. Dining Services is currently offering beginning wages of $8 to $8.75 per hour. A technician job for UUSA is offering $6.81 per hour. Other jobs offer more; but you really just need to ask to find out.
Of course even the highest paying job can still interfere with your studies, so here are a few tips to help you balance the two:
If possible, get a job located on campus. The Tech campus will become the center of your life for the next few years, and it's easier to transition from class to work if you only have to walk five minutes from one to the other. And the money saved on gas will really add up.
Keep your working hours to a minimum. Studies have shown that students working 10 or 20 hours a week tend to have higher GPAs and rates of graduation than those working full time 30 or 40 hour weeks. Don't work more than you have to. That new iPod isn't worth a failed semester.
Conversely, don't be afraid to reduce the number of class hours you're taking per semester. Don't get caught up in the notion of a four-year program. Many students extend their stay an extra semester or two in order to keep their workloads reasonable. Just remember that you have to take at least twelve hours to be a full-time student, which is a requirement for many scholarships and aid programs.
Plan your courses out well ahead of time. Complete a course of study planner and keep it handy. Working hours can sometimes interfere with classes that you needed or planned to take, so either have a back-up plan ready or plot your work and class hours for each semester as soon as course request opens (typically in the middle of each semester).
Don't forget to have fun. This is your life, after all, and if you never stop to smell the roses, then both your work and your studies will end up suffering.
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