When I was notified by my supervisor at the Student Accessibility and Academic Resources Center — also known as the StAAR Center — at the end of my first year that I had been accepted as a writing fellow, I was overjoyed. First of all, it was the first job I had ever been offered. Second, it was the only on-campus job I had been accepted to after applying to countless random positions at the Mayer Campus Center and Tisch Library through Handshake. I had always wanted an on-campus job because it seemed so cool and rewarding. Now, two years later, I can confidently say I was right, and that my Tufts experience wouldn’t have been nearly as meaningful without it.
First, having an on-campus job is different from merely joining student clubs and organizations. When you work for the university, you become more deeply involved in campus life — not just as a student, but as a part of the school’s administration. You get to know the staff members who handle behind-the-scenes logistics that keep the university running, and you have the chance to contribute to these operations yourself. It’s an extremely rewarding experience, and one that you’re unlikely to have again after college when you’re no longer directly involved with the Tufts community. While clubs and extracurriculars fulfill intellectual interests and personal passions, working a job adds a layer of practical purpose — and it can make you feel useful too. In the most pretentious way possible, you could even say you have ‘clients’ — your fellow students — whom you are there to serve.
Another major benefit of having an on-campus job is how it helps you discover resources you may not have been aware of, bridging a sense of alienation from the campus that students may experience from not actively exploring what the school offers. For example, before becoming a writing fellow for the StAAR Center myself, I was unaware of all the other tutoring resources the center offers, like appointments with graduate writing consultants and academic peer tutors. While this was indeed partly due to my lack of attention to Tufts’ academic offerings, I’m confident that many other students are similarly unaware. Likewise, some peers have shared that until they started working at the Tisch Library front desk, they didn’t know you could borrow bikes there. Another friend who works at the Campus Center reception desk told me that she didn’t know you could purchase Charlie Cards and AMC movie passes at the information booth until she worked there. The point is, on-campus jobs don’t just give you a paycheck — they help you understand your school better, introducing you to resources and opportunities that may truly make a difference to your college life.
Lastly, the people you meet along the way also make up a crucial part of your job experience. It is not merely a workplace but also a place where you learn, grow and improve together. You are making friends along the way while also directly working together with them, helping you form great connections. I can confidently say that my time at the StAAR Center has introduced me to truly amazing, intelligent, caring and funny people — some of whom I have kept in touch with even after they graduated last year.
While there are certain hiring priorities and limited job openings that make it difficult for everyone to be able to get an on-campus job — I only received one offer after submitting many other applications and haven’t gotten a second job since — I would really encourage everyone to apply if they can. On-campus jobs truly shape your undergraduate experience in ways you wouldn’t have imagined or expected at first; I personally had never truly thought of their benefits beyond instant monetary satisfaction.
While the money you make from your on-campus job is temporary, the memories you make from those jobs, the lessons you learn and the people you meet during your journey will become crucial to your college experience and stay with you forever.
