Just how do students make money while also attending a rigorous academic institution like Princeton? Until I got here, I too had this question. How do you manage to take classes, do well, make money and sleep? It seems like those things just don’t fit together. Well rest assured, despite my initial reservations, I promise you that it is possible.
Having a job at Princeton is actually really easy to do. There are so many different types of jobs that if you are looking to make money, or if you have a work-study grant to pay back, there will be something of interest to you. Therefore, here is a list of the top 10 jobs I have found while on campus.
- Working in a library – sometimes you guide people to where books are, but oftentimes, you just make sure people stay quiet and get paid to do homework.
- Tutoring – for local elementary and high school students.
- Working in the Dining Hall – cleaning dishes and making sure the Dining Hall is properly stocked. This job has specific shifts, so it's very good for people who want a set time in their schedule for a job.
- Babysitting – for local families and professors' children.
- Baking cookies at Murray Dodge – Murray Dodge, home to the Office of Religious Life, offers free cookies and tea every day from 3 p.m. - midnight.
- Assisting a professor with his or her research or working in a lab – gives you research experience and you get money, so a win-win.
- Orange Key Campus Tours – Tours of campus for prospective students and their families. Learn more.
- Taking pictures for the Yearbook - everyone takes photos, so why not get paid to do so.
- Writing Center Fellow – provide editing and brainstorming assistance to other students on their writing assignments (while fellows get paid by the University, this amazing service is 100% free for students.)
- Residential College Adviser – serve as a mentor and adviser for a group of first-year students.
When I first arrived at Princeton, I started signing up for different clubs and organizations. Soon enough, I had secured three jobs for myself and didn’t even realize it. I found things that interested me and that would help pay for my shopping trips and my love of coffee. I am the editor-in-chief of the Nassau Herald Yearbook, an Orange Key tour guide and I am a writer for this blog. I love all of my jobs, and the best thing, at least for me, is that for the most part, they are not time dependent. I do have a specific tour slot every week, but I can work on the Yearbook and the blog whenever and from wherever. This fit my academic schedule really well, and I’m still able to have an income while studying for my classes. In contrast, some of my friends like having a job in their weekly schedule and have specific days for their dining hall shifts or other jobs.
There is an online resource with all of the available on-campus and nearby off-campus jobs available for students. I often find myself sorting through the availabilities to see if anything piques my interest. In short, with all the opportunities, something will pique your interest and, most importantly, fit within your schedule.