What job did you have while you were in college? / LJWorld.com

Asked at Massachusetts Street on August 7, 2006

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“I was a house boy at a sorority. I got free food and everything.”

— Seth Davidson, pastor, Lawrence

“I worked at the dorm cafeteria. It was horrible, but it was money.”

— Julie Williams, nurse's aide, Leavenworth

“I was a lifeguard. Bad pay and lots of sunburn.”

— John Hinman, self-employed, Topeka

“I was a nurse’s assistant. It was my stepping stone into nursing.”

— Joanne Ashton, nurse, Tucson, Ariz.

Students find campus jobs suit them well

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jhawkdpt 6 years, 9 months ago

I worked at Student Health Services as a physical therapy aide.

oldgranny 6 years, 9 months ago

Didn't go to college. Didn't really need to in my day. I got my Mrs. degree and then a real life education.

southerngirl 6 years, 9 months ago

Gymnastics coach at the North Topeka YMCA, tumbling coach at Jardine Middle School and afternoon relief person at a childcare center. d

jonas 6 years, 9 months ago

Driver, Debt Collector, Skiptracer, Inbound phone repair (ahhh. . . sprint telecenters), hotel clerk, gas station clerk, data entry, waiter, bus-boy.

jonas, you mentioned "sprint telecenters"; i had my first experience, after having been with SWBell for a gazillion years, of having to call the sprint or whatever the H their name is now, repair center a couple days ago. mannnnnnn, where do they get these people?? i guess if it's college kids i understand...but what an experience in frustration! agh!

i was a mom when i was in college-THAT was my favorite&best job! :)

jonas 6 years, 9 months ago

trinity: My observation was this: the people you call are three steps removed from the actual people getting the work done. You would call and talk to me, I would ask some rote questions to get a feel for the type of problem, then I would send your report electronically to the regional dispatch, who would then send the report to the correct local dispatch, who would then send the technician out to do the work (unless of course you missed his brief light knock on your door in the 5 hour availability window that you had to be vigilant during HAHA cuz then he just left and you had to call again!)

So, in the absence of any meaningful repair purpose for my existence in the repair system/mechanism, what I actually was (or at least, what I was supposed to be, and was in trouble a lot for not doing because it felt dirty to me, and why I quit) was a telemarketer, just one that, in order to get your service fixed you had to go through. Training, both at hire and continuing, was focused 40/20/40 on using the operating system/troubleshooting/upselling and selling additional products. I don't know if that's still the case, but from the sound of things I would guess that it is.

southerngirl 6 years, 9 months ago

You're lucky if you get a college kid these days! I called a call center for something last week and could barely understand the woman who took my call. I think I'd rather use a push button system (press one for...) than talk to someone from another country who is taking an American job...

Topside 6 years, 9 months ago

I worked at a sweat shop, er...I mean Hastings.

PS- Unless things have drastically improved NEVER buy candy there. It is all REALLY old and stale.

KSChick1 6 years, 9 months ago

TOB-fluffer?

were yours the best teeth they have ever come across?

acg 6 years, 9 months ago

TOB, that killed me! I was a waitress/bartender, in every kind of place one can imagine, from biker bars to 5 star dining. I'm so glad I don't do that anymore!

trinity 6 years, 9 months ago

lol, thanks for that explanation jonas! :)

i only have a TWO hour window for the service person! i've got to leave work early (no sweat there, lol) to be home between 3:15&5:15. i will stand vigilant on my front porch to watch for 'em!

for once, i think that i knew MORE about my problem than did the tech. i humored him though. i was vindicated when he finally concluded what i'd told him at the git-go; bad dsl line. his tech term for it was "horrible" dsl line, lmaoooooooo!

RETICENT_IRREVERENT 6 years, 9 months ago

Did alot of things, retail, janitor, c-store clerk, trim carpenter, truck driver-one night on the road and I'm a gonna make it to diff-Eq.

I had a roommate with a job similar to TOB's, I'm pretty sure he was a porn video reviewer/cheetos quality tester.

Solomon 6 years, 9 months ago

"I was a house boy at a sorority. I got free food and everything."

And everything??!! What sorority was that, again?

craigers 6 years, 9 months ago

Worked at Target. Great student job, good pay, hours, benefits... No complaints here.

DanFreako 6 years, 9 months ago

I was a bouncer at Coyotes, Tremmors and the bar before Tremmors ..729.

As well as for a NIH study at the Ellsworth cafeteria for my degree.

sunflower_sue 6 years, 9 months ago

Florist, green-house worker, freelance artist, go-fer, wife (and all the jobs that come with that title.)

sgtwolverine 6 years, 9 months ago

A funeral home? H_L, is that you?

RETICENT_IRREVERENT 6 years, 9 months ago

I met one chick in a collaboration group who said she was a "temporary social companion"

sunflower_sue 6 years, 9 months ago

RI, don't we all have that title until we get married? And then, sadly, 50% of us could still claim it.

Pywacket 6 years, 9 months ago

I'm sorry--I'm too distracted by the resemblance of Pastor Seth (the sorority houseboy) to Billy (Brenda's crazy brother) from Six Feet Under. Brrrrrr..... I don't even want to think about that.

Worked at Serials & Acquisitions at Watson Library. Crappy student pay but great people to work with, kindly boss, flexible hours..

H_Lecter 6 years, 9 months ago

Sgt., I think getting to know them before they expire is more interesting and fun. While a funeral home would have it's perks... (did you ever hear, "You can't spell funeral without f-u-n?")

YourItalianPrincess 6 years, 9 months ago

WHile attending college I worked at Kindercare. It was great on the job training as I completed my ECE courses.

I now own my own little in home daycare here in Lawrence and its great to be the boss.

I'm on vacation for all week which I take twice a year. My oldest moved out on his own, so now my youngest is changing rooms. Its going to be a busy week for us here at home, and we are hoping to also fit in going to Chicago or St. Louis for a couple of days too.

Have a great day everyone.

mom_of_three 6 years, 9 months ago

I worked at K-Mart, Taco Tico, and as a bookkeeper for an auto dealership. Lots of different experiences which served me well as I entered the full time job market.

jayhawks71 6 years, 9 months ago

anonymous LJ Reader; vindictive and jealous... expect nothing less.

So what if their parents were successful and paid for their kids education, vehicle, cell phone, computer and so on?

Don't be such a hater.

Jayhawk226 6 years, 9 months ago

Res. Hall monitor (my body and sleep patterns still haven't recovered from those darn mid-AM hours)
Office of Admissions/Scholarships transcript evaluator (last 2 weeks.....HATED IT!!!!)
Asst. Weekend Program Director @ Natural History Museum (Ride Comanche, Ride!!)

Jayhawk226 6 years, 9 months ago

ah, and left out:

Substitute teacher for Lawrence schools

mlemiller 6 years, 9 months ago

Reporter/morning show host for a public radio station. I loved it. I wish I was still doing it.

Laura Watkins 6 years, 9 months ago

I had two campus jobs while in school and would definitely suggest them to any KU student. It was really hard for me to find a job off-campus and the college jobs are plentiful and pay fairly well.

H_Lecter 6 years, 9 months ago

Why stop at ten?

samsnewplace 6 years, 9 months ago

I worked in the toy store for JC Penney in Santa Monica, CA. The main store was located across the alley and then they had a building in a small parking lot that was just a toy store. Alot of fun memories there.

KSChick1 6 years, 9 months ago

thanks bialys

like to point out he started it! :)

RETICENT_IRREVERENT 6 years, 9 months ago

S.S.

"RI, don't we all have that title until we get married? And then, sadly, 50% of us could still claim it."

Are you of both the latter and former group?

As to the "temporary social companion" chick. I interpreted her job title as having a variety of clients, who employed her for an hour or two at a time.

Kristen Murphy 6 years, 9 months ago

I worked at a dining hall and the sports info department. It was fun! Sure paid the bills!

ejh0486 6 years, 9 months ago

I was a member of the sorority house where Seth was a house boy. I am sure the job had to stink at times, but he worked with a great cook, an awesome house mom and the other house boys were very nice. He rarely had to interact with us unless he wanted to. (But I would say we were a pretty decent group of girls) By the by, he was extremely sweet and well-mannered! I am glad to see he became a pastor!

ejh0486 6 years, 9 months ago

Oh yeah ... Shoe store, fast food, catering company, receptionist at a clinic, advertising agency, KC Star, and KU. Most of the time I was working those jobs at the same time. College is expensive!

peachesncream 6 years, 9 months ago

lol T_O_B cute....im wondering where seth is a pastor at , cause im thinkin maybe i need to go back to church (wink)

sunflower_sue 6 years, 9 months ago

RI, still clinging to the former group...not the latter. So, I guess by you're definition, a "temporary social companion" is 2 hours or less time spent? Did she make good wages? ;)

acg 6 years, 9 months ago

Hehe, TOB, me either. I think the pervy part of me wanted the story to go something like "Dear Hustler. I was a house boy in a fraternity. I got free food, and everything! The job was great. One day, after mowing the lawn, I came in for a drink of cold water. I was sweaty and my white tshirt clung to my chest. There were 3 sorority girls in the kitchen that day......." Ah to be young and dumb and, well you all know the rest of that adage. :)

char 6 years, 9 months ago

Slicer at Mr. Goodcent's, housekeeper at a hotel back home (yes, minimum wage to clean up other people's puke, literally), and assistant lab analyst at the mining and processing plant my dad works for. The last was the best: $17+ an hour, and I got to stay inside in the AC most of the time. I did have to do 12 hour shifts my second summer there, but the pay was worth it.

ljreader 6 years, 9 months ago

What? No barristas? I don't think that position even existed when I was in college. I worked in retail where "the customer was always right". AAARRRGGG!

RETICENT_IRREVERENT 6 years, 9 months ago

S.S.,

Good wages? Heck if I know, She fulfilled her part of the project.

ljreader 6 years, 9 months ago

OMB- One time, a woman came in and bought a set of glasswear. I watched an employee very carefully wrap them and place them in a box. A couple of hours later, the customer came back with broken glasses. She said she dropped them and wanted her money back. The employee came and got me. The woman told me the same story. I said, "Yeah, they're glass. If you drop glass, it breaks". Then the nitwit said, "But they're NEW- they shouldn't break". I wasn't going to give her a refund, but the owner of the place got involved and refunded her money. Just one story in the Naked City of retail.

lubyloo 6 years, 9 months ago

Super K-Mart in the toy department! I worked there during the first Christmas that Tickle Me Elmo came out. It was completely insane. I think I was asked, "Do you have Tickle Me Elmo?" about five thousand times. This job tested my sanity. The key is to not get ambitious about straightening up the department and just come to the realization that it will ALWAYS be a disaster area. You just have to walk through the aisles and pick things up off the floor -- don't even try to put them back, just pick the toys up and put them SOMEWHERE so the people can get down the aisles.

By the way, Topside, funny that you should make that comment about stale candy at Hastings. I bought a pack of gum there the other day and it was so old that it was crunchy!!