Here’s How I Got Paid to Make Friends During Freshman Year of College

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Most undergraduate students work part-time. Find out which ones will pay you to increase your social circle as a first-year student. 

School stinks without friends. I spent vast swathes of primary school winging it solo, and it was no bueno. College is the perfect recipe for new friends: students pour in, nobody knows anybody, and 99% of first-year students are desperate for study buddies and dorm friends.

In 2020, 74% of undergraduates were employed part-time, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Typically, more time at work means less time making friends — but it doesn’t have to be that way. I made friends while earning income during my first year.

It didn’t take hard work. In fact, making friends this way was downright simple.

I worked in on-campus housing

First day of college. My parents were gone, and I’d finally finished lugging everything into my closet-sized dorm room. I’m lingering about the common room like a headless chicken, lost and confused. A pamphlet on the front desk caught my eye, a sign-up sheet.

New year, new desk assistants. Turns out, the dorm was hiring. Because this was college, applying was as easy as scribbling my name and phone number. And why not? I could use the extra income. I jotted down my contact information, and one month later, I was hired.

It turned out to be a fantastic spur-of-the-moment decision.

Working on campus afforded me two advantages: easy money and student contact. I met dozens of people while working the front desk. For the low price of helping folks open their mailbox and replace their keys, I met students and made friends.

Consider applying for a front-desk position at your freshman dorm. Ask around on move-in day, because the spot can get competitive. It’s a great way to get paid to make friends, and you can often sneak in school work: a win-win.

Apply for available on-campus jobs

Working in housing is one of the best ways to get paid to make friends, but there are other options. Here are other typical on-campus jobs available to freshmen:

Dining hall workerRecreation center staffAdministrative assistant

Dining hall workers typically come into contact with familiar faces. However, my friends who worked in dining made most of their friends via coworkers. The downside of working in dining is that you’re typically on your feet for your entire shift. College students eat 24/7.

Recreation center staff are like front desk assistants. They greet visitors, keep a clean workspace, and answer student questions. It can be a very competitive position, so interested first-year students may want to ask the Rec Center faculty about the job immediately.

Administrative assistant jobs are typically plentiful. Professors, departments, and libraries need them to keep things organized. Assistants usually have opportunities to make friends with staff or students, but their jobs aren’t always public-facing.

Before working on campus, keep this in mind

Working on campus is a great way to make friends and get paid, but downsides exist. For one thing, salaries tend to be low. Almost uniformly so. Many on-campus positions don’t require much expertise, especially those available to freshmen, and wages reflect that. That’s fine if you’re building your credit score, but $12/hour won’t cover the rent.

Students can supplement their income by working an off-campus side hustle. College towns typically hire students to work in the food industry, which often tips well (your mileage will vary). Professors frequently hire students for miscellaneous, decent-paying jobs they post on LinkedIn.

Also consider checking Google Jobs for local listings. I spent six months gardening for a professor I met through LinkedIn, and the pay was much better than on-campus fare. Apply for jobs sooner rather than later — good jobs become scarce as the school year progresses.

You can make friends while plugging money into a savings account to pay for college expenses. Consider working in on-campus housing, asking faculty about other on-campus jobs, and applying early. The stakes are low, but the opportunity is sky-high.

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