When I finally ended up in Charleston, South Carolina for my study abroad year, a lot of my time was occupied with school work. It wasn’t until my second semester that I got some time to actually have part-time employment. As a visa-holding exchange student, I’m only allowed to work at the college I’m attending, meaning my desire to make burritos at Chipotle was destroyed.

However, I’m actually glad I’m working on campus. In fact, I think it might be one of the best jobs I've ever had! Interacting with thousands of students that use the College of Charleston’s food services has made my job far more interesting, and the fantastic team I’ve worked with actually makes work enjoyable. Since my work hours are limited and flexible, it's worked perfectly alongside my studies. Because of this, and because I really like making listicles, here are five things I love about being a student working on campus!

1. Yes, I’m literally telling you I have fun at work.

The team I work with are sociable, helpful and fun. Time passes quickly, and we work together to get our customers’ orders completed. What’s more, we get along really well: we have great conversations together, or we simply sling witty banter to one another. It gets stressful at times as students usually appear all at once in a long line, but this only makes the hours fly by.

2. It's made retail work a breeze.

The visa-restricted hour system I abide (I can only work 20 hours a week, in case I take too much American money) is sort of a blessing. I only work 5 hours a day, and if I need a day off for studying or an exam, I can just get the time off. This is more so applicable to me as a legal working Alien, *X-Files theme plays*, and as a student, *Crawling by Linkin Park plays*; but it certainly makes earning money on the side a hell of a lot easier.

3. Working with students is awesome.

I’ve found undergraduates approach retail services with a different attitude - at least, this has been in my experience. Students seem to have a little more patience and are less frustrated if something goes wrong. That’s not to imply that older generations aren’t nice or patient (and, in fact, almost everyone I’ve met has possessed a hearty, Southern friendliness) but there’s a chill vibe that circulates among students: they seem to get that things don’t always go the way they wanted it to, in an oddly positive, yet all the while pessimistic, attitude. That seems to come with being a student.

4. I GET FREE FOOD.

This factor is of UTMOST IMPORTANCE. Not only do I manage to claim a free meal a day, I also get to bring leftovers home with me. Sometimes I save it for the next day, but usually, I eat it all at once, and I never regret doing that. It's saved me tons of meal swipes and dining dollars, which I can then waste on copious amounts of Starbucks and MORE FOOD.

5. Seriously, though: it’s taught me a lot of useful skills.

This isn’t just learning how to give great customer service in retail services, but also how to operate different cooking equipment and actually cook, too! I can now make pita bread, which means I’m now, like, 2% Gordon Ramsay (the other percent comes from being British). I’ve additionally learned how to make A VARIETY OF SAUCES, which is a prowess valuable to one’s resume.

Working on campus has, upon reflection, been a blessing. It’s been my first experience working in retail, and taught me how to work in that environment; it's provided me more money to waste on snacks from CVS, and given me something else to do other than watch reruns of Futurama on Netflix. As a student studying abroad, it's also given me the opportunity to add more to my resume other than an additional set of grades; something employers want to see.

Despite only having worked part-time at the College of Charleston for a brief period of time, I’ve met so many wonderful colleagues and students. The people I work with, and the regulars I love speaking to, are among many of the people I'm truly going to miss when I return back home.