Chinasa Iseogu '05 majored in English and works for the New York State Assembly as a committee assistant to the standing Committee on Health. She was active in many campus organizations, include our student newspaper.

It’s Off to Work you Go
By Chinasa Izeogu ’05

Your financial aid offer has arrived and you notice a work-study or “campus job” figure (it’s called different things at different colleges).  This is money you will earn while holding down a job on campus, and at some colleges, like St. Lawrence, you will actually get the money – it won’t be credited against your fees or anything like that. And it’s not a loan -- it does not have to be paid back. 

So, what sort of job will you have?  At most institutions, opportunities vary. Your task is to go and find the one you like best.  At St. Lawrence, if you like hands-on work you can be a bell-ringer, playing the alma mater (along with lots of other tunes) on the carillon at 5 o’clock every afternoon. You can be on the first response team, or, if you like being paid to do your homework, you can work at the help desks in the libraries, the computing center or the athletics complex.

The financial aid staff is responsible for the administration of jobs on campus at St. Lawrence, and hosts a job fair during Orientation week.  B.J Revill, student employment coordinator, strongly advises all first-year students to attend this fair. Approach it as though you’re looking for an after-school job, even though “after school” isn’t quite the same in college as it is in high school. If seeing what’s available isn’t reason enough to go, then look at it from this perspective: You arrive on campus before the returning students – you get first crack at the good jobs!

After the job fair, if you’re still searching for campus employment you can consult with the financial aid staff any time. You can also contact academic or administrative departments that seem interesting and follow the application process specified by each department.

Once you’ve been accepted for a job, talk with your supervisor about what is expected from you and what you will expect from them.  Some topics to go over include absences, work duties, policies and confidentiality, safety rules and regulations.  The employer should inform you of orientation and training sessions, supervision, and the level of performance expected, disciplinary action, and factors leading to termination.

St. Lawrence’s philosophy is that the employment of student workers is meant to be a mutually beneficial experience for the office staff and the student.  Though student help is often tremendously valuable in the operation of a given office, the staff in that office – your bosses --  understand that students are here for an education, and that that comes first. Therefore, campus jobs at St. Lawrence are limited to a maximum of 20 hours per week.

Whatever job you decide to take, look at it this way – it will earn you some spending money, and it will add experience to your resume.