Even though it’s only April and you might only have the headspace to think ahead to that test that is tomorrow or maybe even so far ahead as finals or locking down a job or internship for the summer, I have one piece of advice: start looking for a job on campus for next fall.

Surprisingly enough, many on campus offices that depend on students as employees start their hiring processes in the Spring semester to make sure they are fully operational by the time the next school year starts.

Last year I was hired for my on campus job the week we came back from Spring Break. I remember this fall talking to a new hire who was hired in a pinch after one employee fell through who was confused as to why only a month into the school year I had so much knowledge on the subject, when she had only just been hired. It was unbeknownst to me at the time that this co-worker was in her first year at school.

So, her confusion was understandable but I think it may be unknown to quite a few students that you should start thinking about these opportunities a lot sooner because come the end of August or beginning of summer all the positions may be filled.

And you should really consider working on campus. Plus, when they are released, there are usually quite a few positions available in offices across the campus in a variety of positions. One would be surprised (or at least I have been) about just how much the campus depends on students to keep things running efficiently. For me, it has been one of the best things about my year for so many reasons.

1. The world’s easiest commute

The first reason is that the commute is amazing. Depending on how large your campus is, your office may be right down the street. In my case I just walk four blocks to get from my room to where I work and the office is never longer than a 10-minute walk away from wherever I may be coming from.

This is so handy when you’re running late because you hit snooze on your alarm one too many times, a class went a little too long, or you don’t have to pay to take public transportation to and from your job. After having an internship that was off campus last year, it has been amazing to not have to schedule in an extra 30-minutes of travel time to get on or off campus.

2. Your co-workers are classmates or neighbors

Admittedly this might be a drawback for some, especially if you go to school at a small school, having to spend even more time with people you already live in close quarters with or see multiple times a week in class. It can be nice to get a job off campus just to have a little bit of autonomy from your school.

In the office I work in there, is a core group of about 10 student staff who have become extremely close over the course of this year. At the start, none of us really knew each other. Well, okay, I didn’t realize that last year one of my co-workers lived on the same floor as I did. But other than that, we are all studying different things but the one thing we have in common is where we work.

Now we couldn’t be closer. It’s always an adventure on Fridays when the majority of us are all in the office at once and we are all a bit sleep deprived from the week.

Whenever we see each other outside of the office we always call each other over to stop for a quick chat or to poke fun at each other with our sarcastic senses of humor. There was even talk at one point that three of us would take a class together in the fall. This group has become like a family to me and I always smile a bit bigger when I happen to run into them.

3. Your supervisors are understanding

They get it. You are a student. You have A LOT going on. If you are going to be late for your shift because you needed to meet with a professor or had a last-minute meeting come up.

Sometimes your supervisor is even more aware of how overcommitted your schedule is than you are. You may even get lucky and have a supervisor who is a recent graduate of your school or at least graduated from another school recently. Having these new graduates as your supervisor is so helpful. They have been in your shoes and know what you’re going through.

Plus, they make amazing mentors, they serve as examples for where you could be shortly after your own graduation.

Even if your supervisor hasn’t graduated recently they are amazing resources. They could have connections throughout the school that they can put you in touch with. Take advantage of every opportunity that may present itself because of working with a university-affiliated office, it could be research, getting to know university administrators or being connected with another job opportunity.

Regardless take the time to build relationships with your supervisors, because even if you just walk away with a letter of recommendation, that is not walking away empty-handed.

These are just a few of the reasons why I love working on campus and why I am so thankful for the position I have. I sometimes fear that I rave too much about how much I love my work to other people. But in all honesty, this job has what made my campus feel like a home for me.

The people I work with aren’t just co-workers, they are friends. Chances are offices across your campus are looking for talented, dedicated students who can contribute their skills to whatever jobs need to be done.

Another great perk is that there are so many different types of jobs. I personally have an office job, but you could be working in the dining hall, checking ID’s at the gym, or so many other opportunities. So search them out and take advantage, and hopefully you will discover, just how amazing it is to have a job on campus.