Being a Student Worker
As an international student on financial aid, one of my biggest concerns when starting college was whether I would earn enough money to support myself without relying on my parents. I was rightfully anxious because I had never worked to earn money before my freshman year because student jobs are not as available in Turkey. I was worried that I lacked the necessary experience and background to find a job on campus, but it turns out I worried excessively for no reason, as I usually do. I applied for People Places Pines, the very blog you are reading right now before I ever set foot on campus. And I was lucky enough to be offered a position as a blogger. The workload of a blogger has always been very manageable on top of classes, which provided me with the financial security and the time flexibility I needed for my first term on campus to explore opportunities without economic worries.
My second job on campus was working in the Reading Brains Lab through Women In Science Program (WISP) research internships for first-years. I was unbelievably excited yet nervous at the beginning because working in a psychology lab has been a dream of mine since high school, but I was afraid that I lacked the necessary skills to succeed in this position. Again, the first few days in the lab alleviated my worries. Professor Coch, the education professor I worked with in the lab, treated each part of the research as a learning experience for us. I enjoyed my time so much in the lab as a WISP intern that the next year I applied for Undergraduate Research Assistantships at Dartmouth (URAD) funding to work in the same lab. URAD provides termly stipends for undergrads who want to assist a professor in research. At the end of the winter term, I learned I qualified for Presidential Scholarships, which matches juniors with faculty advisors to conduct research. Though I loved my time in the Reading Brains Lab, I decided to take a risk and apply for a different lab that conducts clinical psychology research. I was fortunate to be offered a position once again, and I look forward to starting to work in the lab next winter and writing about my experiences. Long story short, there are a lot of ways to get paid for doing things you want to do on campus. If you are interested in doing research as an undergraduate, feel free to peruse the website of Undergraduate Advising and Research (UGAR) to get a glimpse of the many opportunities for research funding.
There are also short-term opportunities to make money on campus. During the past break between spring and summer terms, I worked for commencement and reunions housing for a couple of days before my internship started for the summer. As the housing staff, we helped prepare rooms for commencement guests and the Dartmouth alumni returning for reunions. It was a super fair and manageable workload. Not to mention that the supervisors were understanding and created a comfortable working environment.
In short, there are a lot of ways to earn money on campus and support yourself. I do not know what kind of jobs I will work on campus in the future, but I no longer worry about being able to provide for myself.