Being a waitress was my first, I guess you could say, somewhat grown-up job. What I mean is you work more than 4 hours at a time and actually could end up working 2 shifts in a day. I have always liked to work - I don't know if it's because I like to be around people or if I just like to make money. Maybe a little bit of both.

I especially love being a waitress. You get to talk to people the whole time whether that be your fellow servers or your customers. Yes, you could end up working an 8-hour shift but most of the time it's worth it because you are walking out of work that night with $100 or more the majority of the time. I never figured I could make that kind of money after working just one shift.

One of the most important things about working in the serving industry is patience. You will have some customers that no matter what, even if they know that deep down they are wrong, they will argue forever. So don't argue, just accept the fact that the customer is always right and then get your manager if things escalate.

Being a server has taught me a whole new kind of confidence. You have to be confident in what you do and also having the courage to speak because let's be honest, you get better tips when you are nice and comfortable with your customers. Sometimes when people see that their server is a young person they automatically have the assumption that you will mess up their food.

Also, most restaurants hire a lot of servers so it's pretty easy to ask for time off or get your shift covered if you get sick or have something come up with school. This is a very nice thing for students. Also, I think it teaches you how to manage your stress. You may have a lot of tables at the same time that all need something. This has happened to me many times. I just breathe and figure out what the most important things are and run those first, and come back for the other stuff. This helps with school too because you learn how to manage having lots of assignments for all of your different classes.

Another reason being a college student waitress is great is because you never know who will sit at one of your tables. It is a great way to network, especially if they like you and keep coming and sitting in your section. You will get to know your customers and you may even be able to get a different job through them when you graduate. You develop a relationship with people you may have never met except through that job.