On the day of freshmen orientation, all rising Oles with financial work awards formed lines in the Tomson Hall Atrium. We eagerly anticipated, or dreaded, our work assignments. It didn’t really dawn on us during "Welcome Week" that we weren’t only students of St. Olaf, but employees. I crossed my fingers, hoping that I would get assigned to the library, a book-nerd’s dream, or at least get a desk job, like at a residence hall or in admissions. Instead, half of the work award students and I had, "Bon App Server,” stamped on our assignment cards, and I felt doomed.
On Tuesday mornings during my first semester, I would put on my gray Bon App shirt, clip on my name tag, and pull back my hair. I often trudged to the caf, where I was reluctant to battle with the junky waffle irons for two hours, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. It really wasn’t a bad shift, but I hated it anyway. I burned almost every waffle one particular day when the chefs switched the batter without letting me know. My face flushed in shame as students glared at me when I said, “Sorry, we’re out of waffles.” Because I burned them all! Now, the students at St. Olaf are generally pretty nice, so maybe I over exaggerated a little. You can’t exactly blame them for being upset. I don’t like it when someone gets in the way of me and my food either.
Eventually, I gave up on being the waffle girl and got an off-campus position as a tutor in grade schools. It was a lot more enjoyable for me than being a cafe server. Even though it wasn't my ideal job, I really admired the other students I worked with who were upperclassmen and supervisors. They talked and laughed with the chefs and each other, and they were super helpful and knew how to make the best of things. Later, I got to know some of the other students who held the same position as I did at my new job in, and we got to enjoy each other’s company on the sleepy, morning rides to the elementary schools in our campus carpool, Van Go. Tutoring first graders in their reading class was probably the hardest job I’ve had yet, but it was a challenge that I was excited to take on. I realized that the patience of an elementary school teacher is unfathomable. My head was spinning after two hours of, “Miss Danielle, can I read this?” “He hit me!” “What does this say?” “Can I go potty?” It wore me down after only that short amount of time, and I honestly admire the way those teachers I aided could keep up their energy for five more hours (and beyond, if you take into account all of the grading and lesson plans they do). As my freshman year came to a close, I felt attached to the students I tutored, their drawings littered my desk at school and it was hard to say goodbye!
Once I went home for the summer, I worked at a country club almost every day, trying to save money. Most of my friends did too, and we lamented our menial jobs over long-distance Skype calls or the occasional text. Most of us worked two jobs and burned ourselves out by the end of the summer. After working as a waitress all season, I was dying to return to the Hill and focus on my studies. But then my financial situation changed. I bought a car, leased it actually, and took on the responsibility of monthly payments and gas money.
As a result of this purchase, I have spent the majority of my sophomore year wondering if I have made a mistake. At the time it seemed like it would work out because I was already going to have my job tutoring again in Northfield. That would take care of my work award and more. I could get another job on the side if need be. A month or so before classes started, I got an email saying that my off campus work award was taken away because I no longer qualified. I was in shock. How was I going to pay for my first adult responsibility?! I got no sleep because thoughts of not being able to find a job and make the car payments haunted me constantly. What was I thinking?
That week I sent out twelve job applications in the area surrounding St. Olaf. Since I had this car, it would be easy to get to an off-campus job, but that’s where I felt stuck. Was I working to pay for my car, or was my car allowing me to have a better paying job? It certainly wasn’t the latter. I ended up working at a Target store and started off with 30 hour work weeks. After two months I could feel my body breaking down from the late nights spent doing homework, the six hour shifts of constant standing at work, and from frequent illnesses. I stopped taking care of myself, and I barely got by in my classes. My grades were fine, but it wasn’t my best work.
I started to get bitter toward my friends who had on-campus jobs. I started invalidating their experiences as employees of St. Olaf. I felt like I was the only one who had to worry about her financial situation. I would say,
“Oh, I just go to a school with kids who come from money, and have traveled, and probably belong to country clubs.” I was being unfair to them. I remember once when I tried to vent to a friend of mine, they said,
“Well, I don’t understand why you’re working. My parents said that school is my full-time job. You should be focusing on what is really important.” That killed me. I was partly furious but also really sad. That is how education should be, free, equal and available. $50,000 a year is an outrageous amount of money, but it seemed like I didn’t understand that when I went to college. For some reason I just knew things would have to work out. St. Olaf was the dream school for me, and there was no way I wasn’t going to make it work. I just never thought that I would find myself prioritizing a part-time job over this education, which costs a fortune, but is really everything I’ve ever wanted.
Looking back on this year, I realized that working when you’re a college student is a reality that most of us face. Most of my friends work on campus, and any job is still a job. It’s going to have its challenges. Once I had met other Oles who worked at Target with me, we became friends and shared our experiences of working off campus. I’d say that I ultimately overcame my bitterness by using my experiences at work as a way to enrich my education. I found a connection to the outside world too. I joined a community, and became friends with those I worked with, and I actually have come to really enjoy my job, and I confess I am sad to leave the friends I made there to go home for the summer.
I’m not saying that working 30 hours a week is sustainable for a college student, and I’m not saying this is the only way to become a functioning person in the adult world. I think it’s sad that America’s education system is so expensive that students have to put their schooling on the back burner in order to make money. But there are ways to cope and rise above these circumstances, and it starts with the attitude you choose. I decided that I was sick of moping and bemoaning my financial issues, and that I needed to take responsibility for myself and my decisions. Buying a car in college may have not been the best decision, but at least I feel like I understand a whole lot more about financial responsibilities than I had initially.
