I, like most college students, had to get a job once I moved away from the house. I was avoiding working as a waitress for months, only applying to desk jobs, sales associates jobs, and animal care positions, until I absolutely had to have a job. The first restaurant I applied to hired me within a week! I was ecstatic to be working again, but not excited to be a waitress.

Now I realize that being a waitress in college was the best thing that could have happened to me, so here's nine reasons why.

1. The hours are super manageable.

I work 4 hours a night, 5 days a week and I get to pick my days off. I only work 5 days a week because I choose to, but I know plenty of waitresses that only work weekends or only pick up shifts on their own time. A bonus is that it is incredibly easy to have someone pick up a shift for you if you can’t work, and you can never work with any type of sickness due to food laws.

2. You meet a lot of interesting people.

My co-workers are the most interesting people I know. Without them, I would have never strayed far from my college campus. Because of work, I am regularly invited to a ton of social events and there is no such thing as a boring Friday night after work.

3. Morning shifts start around lunchtime.

Most restaurants open around 11 a.m. so I never have to wake up super early to go to work. This means you have enough time to attend the first church service on Sunday, wipe away your party makeup from the night before, or spend the morning doing homework.

4. There is never a lack of food!

I hardly ever have to pay for food. A lot of the time, one of the cooks makes a meal wrong and the managers just give away whatever is extra. Also, all the food at the end of a shift that doesn’t keep well must be eaten or tossed. As a student, I only work nights, so I come back to the dorm with fresh steak, rolls, and whatever drink I want. I barely need to buy groceries!

5. The money is pretty good.

I typically make $40 on slow nights and average about $90 - $150 on regular to fast nights. If I work 5 nights a week, I make around $350 a week, or $1,400 a month. If I ever want some extra cash for a night out, I just pick up a shift and I’m set!

6. You learn how to manage stress.

Being a waitress can be stressful when you have 7 tables and they all need something, but you can’t freak out or everything will be even worse. I learned very fast how to determine what things are more important than others, and it has helped me immensely with my classes and homework. I would rather learn how to manage stress at work when it doesn’t have major consequences than at school where the stress can impact this stage of my life. Honestly, the stress was a blessing in disguise.

7. Dealing with different people becomes easy.

We all have people we don’t like, but, in real life, we have to be civil to the people we don’t like. Nothing has taught me to be more civil than being a waitress. Some people make you want to throw their food at them, scream, and pull your hair, but that’s not how life works. You can’t be rude to them because it won’t give you any gratification. Being a waitress has made me realize that the best gratification I can receive from rude people is that I was the better person in the encounter.

8. Networking is super easy!

I never know who is sitting at my table, whether an actress, surgeon, or business mogul. I obtain business cards and discount offers nearly every day. I have had my hair colored for free by someone I waited on, and I have been given invitations to parties, art showings, and musical performances. I have been introduced to multiple surgeons (the field I hope to be in after medical school) via customers I have waited on. I have so many new and unique connections with people I would never have met unless I was a waitress.

9. Being a waitress makes meeting someone very easy.

I have met some of the most amazing people at my work, occasionally spending time after work talking to them still. I have received many date offers, phone numbers, and business cards from amazing guys. Since I am in a committed relationship, I would never dream of taking one of those guys up on their offers, but four of my current co-workers are now married or engaged to men they have met through our work.

Being a waitress definitely has its perks, but there are also some drawbacks that make me understand why some people never want to be a waitress. I don’t think that being a waitress is for everyone, but I do think that everyone has something they could learn from being in the restaurant industry.