Part Time Jobs!

I’ve been getting really stressed out lately, thinking about upcoming expenses. Fall tuition, rent, all those textbooks at the start of a new term. Yikes-a-likes, right? When I think too much about how impoverished I’m about to be, I get in a really frugal mood where everything seems beyond my budget.

“Five cents for a plastic bag at a grocery store? Didn’t it used to be three? THIS IS HIGHWAY ROBBERY!”

I had a job during high school; I worked 10-20 hours per week, or more around the holidays. It was totally, totally doable, even though I participated in a crazy amount of after school activities and studied like a hound every night. (A hound that is intent upon getting 100% in calculus. You know, a regular hound). When I got to university though, I convinced myself that I wouldn’t have time for a part-time job.

Engineering is a pretty intense program, with 5 or 6 courses every term, and big projects, and crazy labs. Plus, I run 20sb, and I volunteer here and there, and I go to Power Hour at the pool (fine, now it’s called Aquatics Club but that is way less fun), and I like to hit the gym pretty often, and also I have a bit of a social life (I didn’t in high school).

It’s easy to say that there isn’t any time for a job. But also? I waste tonnes of time. I’m looking at you, sidereel.com, and google reader (there’s like 300 blogs in there), and twitter, and tumblr, and Internet In General. If somebody tells me that Big Bang Theory is funny, then I catch up on all 3 seasons over the course of a few weeks. Imagine if, instead of watching low-fi episodes with Asian-language subtitles, I was getting paid even minimum wage all that time! I’d have just as much time for studying and the rest of my life, and way less stress.

As soon as I thought about getting a job, all my stress left. Yes, it might be stressful to time manage, but even if I only make a few hundred dollars a month? I NEED THAT. So, I’ve decided. I’ma getta job.

It’s an exciting prospect! Jobs while in college! IT’S LIKE THE MOVIES!

I spent high school in retail and it would be painful to go back. Fast food is also out for pejorative reasons. I wouldn’t want to work in the type of restaurant commonly frequented by students, nor do I want to travel too far away from my house, which is near campus. I wondering if/how I could get a TA position? Or if I could teach a campus rec class like spinning. A spin instructor! That would be fun! The possibilities!

People from UW: any specific ideas? (Symposium crossed my mind, but I would eat all the deserts and get very large very quickly)

People not from UW: any generic ideas?