Working your way through college

August 3, 2008 7:31 PM

How were you able to work your way through college?

I am 22, male, and live in Reno, Nevada if that makes any difference. I have been a customer service rep, a valet, and a lifeguard.

What is the best way to maximize income while minimizing the stress of and time spent at a job while going to school? Right now, I'm thinking of bar tending a couple nights a week.

Any recommendations are welcome.

posted by clearly to work & money (41 answers total)

I worked at a law office as a transcriptionist. It's among the better-paying office work out there, and the company I worked at had very flexible hours. YMMV.
posted by mynameisluka at 7:35 PM on August 3, 2008

Bar tending is a perfectly respectable way to get through school--good tips, very accommodating hours, and a chance to listen to people tell you about their lives. I never did it, but I know a ton of people who have, and it is a great way to put yourself through school.
posted by mynameismandab at 7:57 PM on August 3, 2008

I found an on-campus job -- being an attendant in the video arcade, back when such things existed. Nobody wanted the weekend nights so I took them, which paid the rent.
posted by yort at 7:58 PM on August 3, 2008

I worked in the on-campus catering department and was able to take extra food home. This generally saved me some money, but was not a steady stream of reliable, nutritious food. Some days I just had a basket of leftover dinner rolls, other days some fruit or extra dessert. Very hit or miss, but it got me through a couple of summers with no meal service.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 8:07 PM on August 3, 2008

I did a number of jobs. Bar-tending paid the best but you have to pick the right place. Places where business people sat around quietly drinking expensive scotch in suits after work was quite different than high volume pick-up bars with loud people drinking until they puked. I liked the business folks for more reliable tips as long as my service was prompt polite and functional. I didn't want a place with a bunch of bar drama

Other jobs I liked were ones where they didn't mind if I read text books (some museums and some hospitals).
posted by dog food sugar at 8:12 PM on August 3, 2008

When I was in college and working two part-time jobs, flexible hours were what really made all the difference for me. Both of my jobs were on-campus work-study positions, which meant that my supervisors were always accommodating with my schedule. This was especially important around finals week in fall semester, since my supervisors let me take off as much time as I needed in order to study, or they let me shift around my hours so that I could more easily balance paper-writing and working. Unfortunately, this wasn't always the case for my friends who worked retail jobs in college, since finals week in fall semester always fell right around the holiday season. Rather than let them take time off, if anything, my friends' supervisors wanted them to work even more.

Both of my jobs paid something like $10 an hour, and though I could have made more than that if I had worked off-campus, the convenience of staying on-campus was more than worth it. It definitely helped minimize stress because I never had to worry about being late for work --- one of the jobs was located in the same building complex as all of my classes, and the other one was only a couple of blocks away. The only problems I faced had to deal with the financial aid office; I originally started off with $4000 a year in work-study funds, but then at the beginning of my junior year, they unexpectedly cut me down to $1500! WTF! But I'll save the rest of that story for another Ask MeFi post...
posted by sabira at 8:14 PM on August 3, 2008

GI Bill, full time job with tuition benefits and only went to school part time. Also a tolerant SO is a wonder to keep you morale up during all nighters.

Took forever though...
posted by Confess, Fletch at 8:15 PM on August 3, 2008

I was in a co-op program, where I went to school (public) for a quarter, then worked a quarter, etc. I was lucky enough to get jobs with corporations where I was able to earn enough (barely) to cover expenses that way, although I also had a $2K/year scholarship for three years, and I covered most of my last year by accumulating a several-thousand-dollar balance on my credit card -- luckily, I was able to pay that off pretty quick once I graduated.

I lived very very cheaply, too: paid $150/month for a pretty small, badly-heated room in an older house near campus, didn't have a car until late, and then paid $700 for an 11-year-old Datsun, didn't have a computer, seldom bought clothes, ate a lot of potatoes -- and I actually think this impacted the amount I was able to learn and my social life, to an extent, but whatever. I got through eventually.
posted by amtho at 9:11 PM on August 3, 2008

Co-op. Except our school had three terms per year, so it was 4 months school, 4 months work, etc. It did not defray 100% of my school costs. Sometimes it was hard to get a 4-month rental for the work term, but that was a minor issue.
posted by GuyZero at 9:26 PM on August 3, 2008

My co-op jobs were all in the same town as my school (Atlanta) which helped a lot with expenses and savings (and time that would have been spent re-locating). Although I will say that doing this with no car was kind of time-consuming; taking the Marta bus + train for 45 minutes each way, plus walking between dorm, bus station, bus stop, and office building was quite an experience. I think I'd probably have tried harder to get a car (and car insurance) if I had to do it again. But I'm not sure how I'd have afforded it at that point.

On the other hand, that was when I was working at IBM and was able to save enough for airline tickets for a 3-week volunteering stint in Czech Republic.
posted by amtho at 9:51 PM on August 3, 2008

On-campus job: glassware maintenance technician. (I cleaned test tubes and glass slides and ran the autoclave. It was like being Pasteur's handyman.)

In my senior year I held a position as a teaching assistant. I conducted labs and graded homework.
posted by SPrintF at 9:52 PM on August 3, 2008

I got an office job that pays really well. It is a long commute to work every afternoon, but the extra pay per hour makes it worth it. My bosses are very flexible and accommodating, too.

But the real key is working full time every summer. I know lots of people who take classes over the summer, which is a good strategy if it helps you graduate sooner, but I found that taking 3 months off of school to really save some money gets me through the school year. Find a part-time job that you can do 40 hours a week during the summer.
posted by folara at 9:55 PM on August 3, 2008

I've worked a variety of on-campus jobs, mainly in the admissions office and my departments digital lab.

I only lasted about 3 terms in admissions because I had no real time for it and my homework. The Digital Lab has been much better, as I'm usually able to do my homework while I wait for someone to buy paper to print on. There's the usual interruption ("The printer's broken..." "Why isn't it scanning?"), but otherwise my shifts are quiet. This helps a lot when you're working 15 hours a week and carrying 6 classes.

Next term, I'll be taking a job TA-ing for my department co-chair. It means a reduction in hours and less income. But since I'll be graduating, it's probably best that way.

Regarding pay, I've been allotted about $1000 in work study funds per term. I'm on $10 an hour, so that runs out pretty quick. What usually ends up happening is that the department has just started paying out of their budget when it does run out.
posted by arishaun at 10:09 PM on August 3, 2008

EMT, summer research on grant money, "workstudy" through the schoolyear.
posted by porpoise at 10:27 PM on August 3, 2008

I bartended and waited tables, which wasn't bad - the hours are good and the pay is pretty decent, depending on the place.

I also drove a cab for a year while finishing my undergrad. That turned out to be a great college job. The hours were very flexible; if I was busy, I could go home early or find someone else to take my shift. If I had extra time, it was easy to stay out longer and make some more cash. On a slow night, I'd park somewhere and read a book. The money was also pretty good - I'd think that in a place like Reno, full of drunk tourists looking to throw money away, you'd do pretty well. Plus I wound up with lots of good stories ...
posted by chbrooks at 10:32 PM on August 3, 2008

My friend worked his way through as a programmer for a research group. Learn to program, you could make a decent chunk of change.
posted by crinklebat at 10:36 PM on August 3, 2008

I currently do part time work as a childcare assistant at a local school (for before and after school hours). It's great, not complicated, flexible, and pays quite well.
posted by divabat at 11:17 PM on August 3, 2008

Evening computer lab monitor - best campus job ever as it didn't get in the way of classes and paid OK (minimum wage but plenty of hours).

Any job where you can study is worth a lot more than a similar-paying job that takes away from your studies.
posted by zippy at 12:50 AM on August 4, 2008

I worked on campus through college in a digital lab. The pay was enough and the hours were flexible, and in my particular lab, i made some great friends and had a wonderful time. If you can find on-campus work, i'd highly recommend it.
posted by ukdanae at 2:57 AM on August 4, 2008

Biochem research and working at the front desk of a building. Both were pretty flexible, which made up for the fact that they weren't extraordinarily lucrative jobs. Plus, working in a biochem lab was great for my major as well.
posted by ubersturm at 3:38 AM on August 4, 2008

Night shift sorting mail at the post office. I'd come home and sleep for two hours. Go to class, sleep four more hours, Get up, study, and go to work.
posted by Xurando at 4:57 AM on August 4, 2008

Yes, because I worked full-time and went to school part-time. By going to school two nights a week almost year round you can do a three-year B.A. in five years. I also got a handful of community college certificates this way.
posted by orange swan at 5:25 AM on August 4, 2008

Worked on the checkout in a greengrocer's (free fruit and veg), supported people with disabilities (waking night shift gives you plenty of time to study) and modelled for a couple of art groups (excellent money for a few hours work each week). I dropped the fruit shop (missed the fruit and veg!) in my honours year and did youth consultancy project work for the state government (and through my first Masters). That was a pretty good score, actually - the per diem on trips turned out very lucrative.
posted by goo at 5:51 AM on August 4, 2008

If you have any skill that you can turn into one-on-one tutoring, consulting, or lessons, it maximizing income while minimizing time. For instance, I teach figure skating among many college students. Base pay for group classes is $15 to $25 per hour, and for privates $50 per hour. Depending on how much energy and time they have, these kids can make a LOT of money. So-- teach an instrument, a language, martial arts, esoteric computer skills (especially to old folks like me)...
posted by nax at 5:55 AM on August 4, 2008

The dogdad worked as a security guard at night (well, swing actually), which was great because he could study while monitoring his bank of TV's (although I suspect he played more Gameboy than actually studying).
posted by dogmom at 6:06 AM on August 4, 2008

Work at a library branch - if you're at a big school, there are likely to be satellite libraries for science/math, medical school, law school, etc. I worked Sunday afternoons and weekday evenings at a library and was able to get tons of work done because it was quiet (duh). My full time bosses didn't care as long as I got the little "chores" done first. I would stay away from the circulation desk at the main library - there's no time to get any work done there.
posted by mbd1mbd1 at 7:32 AM on August 4, 2008

When I was in college and working two part-time jobs, flexible hours were what really made all the difference for me. Both of my jobs were on-campus work-study positions, which meant that my supervisors were always accommodating with my schedule.

This. At one point, I worked three on-campus jobs, totalling around 15 hours of work a week paying between $7.75-$10 an hour. Not enough to live on, but it payed the tuition and pocket-money that grants and loans didn't cover.
posted by muddgirl at 7:37 AM on August 4, 2008

First I reduced the number of credits I needed to take by placing out of as much as possible and by hassling the powers that be (Beowulf should count as pre-1800 literature!).

I had an early-morning on-campus job in the library and, later, an evening job as a computer lab monitor--as pointed out above, it's easy work, and I could study or write papers there. However, neither of those jobs paid as well as I suspect you'd get paid as a bartender.
posted by PatoPata at 7:43 AM on August 4, 2008

I worked the Front Desk at hotels. It was easy work with lots of downtime to do homework. The best was when I managed a small bed and breakfast. I usually worked the 2 - 10 pm shift in this 9 room place. I had so much free time I never had to work on homework outside of work. It was like getting paid to study. I did that for about 3 years.
posted by trbrts at 8:00 AM on August 4, 2008

Student cafateria manager bulk of 2 years, mon-th night 7pm-12:30am. Worked well being after classes and actually forced me to study with limited time.
Biochem researcher full time for some summers (also my college major).
Chemistry learning center tutor/tech support Friday afternoons.
Waiter/bartender, lawn work during the summer in addition to the biochem work.

I worked quite a bit during college, but I should note that it wasn't enough to live on alone. I still needed some federal loans and parental help.
posted by jmd82 at 8:13 AM on August 4, 2008

I tried bar tending but there was so much cocaine in the kitchen, I quit after a week. I don't know about most places or most bars but I didn't find the alcohol industry a good place to form good study habits. That said, I had a very popular, intelligent, good-looking friend who did coke all night long every night, aced all his tests and bought a house with his bar money shortly after graduation.

I guess it's a personality thing. I fared better as an assistant photographer for the school's marketing department. Got to drive around with the photographer every other day in her '68 Comet taking pictures and meeting interesting people -- not bad for chill fun but it didn't pay well. Most school jobs don't in my experience.
posted by metajc at 8:15 AM on August 4, 2008

Oh, and yes, bartending can rake in the money. Depending on how late the bar's open, be prepared to work 1-2 hours past closing. Also keep in mind that it's also an environment where sex, drugs, and rock&roll are a way of living due to the immediate proximity of the lifestyle. I saw a lot of good students flame out when they got into the bartending scene. Of course, that's not to say all tenders become alchies, but I simply saw it a lot more there.
posted by jmd82 at 8:18 AM on August 4, 2008

I worked 30-40 hours a week, cut down to about 20 during finals week, and up to about 70 during spring break and winter break. I was able to do this because I had a decent-paying office job that was tangentially related to my college, so they worked around the school's schedule. At other points, I did freelance transcription (flexible hours, pays extremely well), worked on-campus at a food service place (able to read/study during slow times), but odd photography gigs for bands, web design, tutoring and anything else I could think of to make extra cash. I don't know much about the cost of living in Reno, but in San Diego, all of this still wasn't enough to live on. I took out student loans to pay all of my tuition, and extra student loans to supplement my living cost.

It can definitely be stressful and difficult to work your way through school, but in the long run I think it's really beneficial. I had so many friends in college who had everything paid for by their parents and graduated without working a day in their lives. These are the people who immediately got married and found someone else to support them, or who've had to struggle to find a job. You learn a lot of real-world skills by juggling school and work that you wouldn't get in the classroom.
posted by booknerd at 9:47 AM on August 4, 2008

Undergrad - delivered pizza 3 or 4 nights a week and mostly took classes on Tuesday's and Thursdays. There's certainly easier jobs out there, but it was mindless and more than paid the rent in a college town.

Graduate - GI Bill.
posted by matty at 9:47 AM on August 4, 2008

My dad was a night porter at a hotel after he'd gambled his student grant in one night (yikes). Guess he was tired a lot but it pulled him through (and he could study during the dead hours of the morning).

I've done on-campus (admin) work and checkout girl (this didn't put me through uni tho, just gave me a bit extra).
posted by ClarissaWAM at 10:45 AM on August 4, 2008

Two jobs:

Pizza Delivery - No boss breathing down your neck for most of the time. It's also a very fast job. Two - three hours a night will get you all the beer money you need, tax free, or at least tax debatable. At first it seems low class, but think about it: minimum wage, plus tips, plus mileage. If you drive an economy car, this can be very lucrative. I used to drive a Geo Metro and it was typical for me to make 15 - 20$/ hr.

Security/Guard - I could work nights in the summer and read all the books I needed to. This job had a more hectic schedule, but it was very flexible in terms of what I could do while on duty. I thought of it as getting paid to study poetry and other literature.
posted by noir at 12:24 PM on August 4, 2008

Try to find a job working for the school itself. I am currently working my way through college as well. No one will understand your needs as a student better than the school itself. Working for the university, most likely you will be able to schedule all your work times around the classes you want. Try telling another employer that your schedule changes every three months, or that you want to work three hours, go to class, come back and work two more. The pay most likely will be not so great, but the reward will be if you can get a nice desk job that you can do all of your homework and studying at. My job pretty much replaces all the time I would already be spending in libraries or cafes doing schoolwork, except I'm getting paid for it as well. If you really need more money you can get a second high paying part time job to fill in the gaps. I'd suggest looking for some late night stocking at a department store, since it will be low stress, and hours that won't interfere with your school.
posted by Syntoad at 1:26 PM on August 4, 2008

First, I would suggest doing what you can, if anything, to lower the cost of tuition to be more efficient with your money. Here are things I have done that may/may not work for you:
- For the first two years of undergrad I attended a private university and applied for all the scholarships I could, including merit based, program of study sponsored, and smaller local scholarships.
- I was also a Resident Assistant for a year and did not have to pay for room or board during that time.
- I took a year off of school to volunteer with Americorps and got an education grant which paid for three semesters of class plus summer classes at a public university when I went back to finish my degree.
- I am currently taking graduate level classes at a private university. I opted to take my classes off campus - they cost almost 50% less than on campus courses since they meet less frequently for more intense periods of time. Also, the logic is that off campus students are not on campus as much as regular students who can better take advantage of what the school has to offer.
- Finally, I got a full time job at the university and will start reaping the benefits of tuition remission in about two months.

The key thing I learned that will be necessary when working your way through college is how to be efficient with your time!!
- Example: For the last two years of university, I attended university full time and worked at a fitness center full time as well. I would take public transportation to class and read material for that day's classes en route, then take all my classes between 8am and 12:30am back to back. Then I'd either read in the Library before work or on the subway to work. I'd work from 1-9pm and take the bus home, reading on the bus on the way home.

Of course I would take time for relaxing and exercising and hanging out with friends when I could, but not nearly as much as when I was not working and going to school full time. I learned the hard way that when I did not get enough sleep then I had more sick days when I couldn't do much of anything. Whatever you plan to do, please remember to allow enough time to be rested if possible! :)

Finally, you will want to consider ways that you can cut back financially outside of school so that you don't go into any more debt than you have to. There are a ton of suggestion lists out there and probably many on mefi, but that might include: buying used books on Amazon, taking on a roommate, using public transportation instead of driving if that service is available to you, etc.

Good luck to you in this new adventure!!
posted by lolalivia at 1:39 PM on August 4, 2008

Thank you all very much for your answers!

They are all great.
posted by clearly at 1:49 PM on August 4, 2008

I worked on campus for a professor. This made it extremely convenient to be able to squeeze in an hour or two of work in between classes so I never had any wasted time and was still able to be home in the evenings to do class assignments and readings.

Check your campus for job listings, either online or posted in various academic buildings. My school had a limit of hours students could work a week (29) but my boss always let me work more and paid me the difference.
posted by lintacious at 3:18 PM on August 4, 2008

I worked as a fast food manager slightly more upscale chain that allowed flexible scheduling. (it also helped that I took it on myself to make the schedule) 30ish hours in the semester, overtime in the summer.
posted by T.D. Strange at 7:56 PM on August 4, 2008