Before coming to college, I'd held a small assortment of jobs. My main one was a summer job at an amusement park, where I worked in the gifts stores. Outside of that, I'd done work as a theatre usher, concession stand worker, and a tutor. Yet none of those occupations prepared me for the experience of working in the food industry. While working with food comes with its challenges, on top of the expected, college dining halls come with their own curveballs. Although I've only had my work-study job for about a month now, here are some of the pros and cons of my job that I've surmised so far.
Pros:
1. Free meals.
One of the clearest advantages of working in the dining hall is getting a free meal every time I work. First of all, it's a fiscal pro, since I have a fixed amount of meals per semester and I can now afford to stay on a less expensive plan. Secondly, it means that the minute my shift is done, I get to treat myself to a humongous plate of food with zero regrets.
2. Free desserts.
I had to put this one under a separate point because desserts are that important. Almost every day, I get to snag a chocolate chip cookie, brownie, or other fresh baked good from the dining hall kitchen. This is an obvious pro, since chocolate can improve almost any rough job.
3. It's a pretty easy gig.
Compared to some other jobs I've had, working the dining hall isn't that bad. Although the work can get pretty monotonous, unless we're in the middle of a rush, it isn't that stressful. Also, as a college student, I'm limited on how many hours I can work each week. Because of this, my job is more of a hobby than a serious commitment. Which is pretty nice.
4. The people I work with are amazing.
During my first three weeks working at the dining hall, I've met so many incredibly interesting people. They're are all super hard-working and dedicated to what they do, whether it be washing pots and pans, doing food prep, or keeping the salad bar neat and well-stocked. Also, they've been incredibly kind and patient with me as I've fumbled through my first shifts at an entirely new job.
Cons:
1. It gets messy.
The other night, I spent a two hour shift serving chicken enchiladas. If I had a dollar for every time I splattered enchilada sauce onto myself, I'd have enough funds to quit this job and still pay my tuition.
2. The smell of the gloves.
After coming home, my hands always smell like a pleasant blend of rubber and latex for the rest of the night. While doctors may experience the same phenomena, they're making more than 10x as much as I am, so there's that.
3. Getting asked, "is this _____?"
Is this gluten-free? Is this vegan? Is this organic? Is this lactose-free? While I understand the importance of following your dietary restrictions, I don't know, I just work here.
4. Seeing people I know.
We've all been there: you're working your crummy minimum-paying job and suddenly, that person from your Psych class walks in. And you both try to act like it isn't awkward, but no matter how hard you try, it always is. At college, running into people you know while working in the dining hall is pretty much inevitable. Unless you hide the moment you see them in a crowd, of course. Not that I'd stoop to that level of desperation...
5. Dinner rushes.
At some point between 6 and 7, the entire student body decides that it's time for dinner. As a result, it gets super busy as hungry students swarm into the dining hall. While this is manageable at my school since it's a small liberal arts college, it's still hectic and overwhelming for us workers, especially when long lines form and people become impatient.
Overall, I can't complain too much about this job. While it's far from glamorous, it gives me a productive way to spend my free time, which I'd otherwise squander away on Netflix. Plus, I'm saving money by spending less on food, which is always a pro.
Ultimately, I urge everyone to remember to thank the dining hall staff every once in a while for the hard work they put into making your experience as positive as possible. Whether they're serving you food, washing your dishes, or even just swiping your ID card as you enter, they're doing you a service and deserve your respect.
