8D
Wednesday, August 19, 1992
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Students balance work,school
As part of his duties as desk assistant, Ricardo Barba, San Salvador, El Salvador, senior, answers the school at Oliver Hall. Barba, who is a resident assistant at Ellsworth Hall during the school year, worked a rotating schedule at the residence halls this summer.
Daron J. Bennett / KANSAN
By Christina Slape Special to the Kansan
Students who work either on or off campus must face the difficult task of balancing work schedules with classes and homework.
The University of Kansas, the largest employer of students in the area, hires more than 4,000 students in both hourly and monthly positions during the regular school year and more than 2,000 during the summer. According to the University of Kansas Profiles, January 1992, the university budgeted $1,701,184 for student help in fiscal year 1992, which ended June 30.
David McMahan, Andover senior, who has worked for a year and a half in the biology department on killerbird research, said one advantage of his job was that it allowed him to set his hours and take time off for studying. McMahan said he usually worked 25-30 hours a week.
"The biggest advantage is working for a professor who is very well known in his field; he has become like my mentor," McMahan said. "Working on campus is a learning experience. I've learned a lot more on this job than I have in some classes."
Working off campus can provide a very different schedule and sometimes higher wages. Lilani Connolly, Lawrence senior, has worked for five years as a clinical assistant for a local orthodontist making $7.65 an hour. Connally said that her schedule was flexible and that she could work around her school hours.
"I think my hourly wage is high for a college student; most everyone else makes $5 an hour. But that's because I have more experience and training, and I used to work full time, so I have that advantage," Connolly said.
But working off campus can also mean more hours of work and a
more rigid schedule Lisa Brien,
Topeka sophomore, works 30-35
hours a week at a Hardee's on the
Kansas Turnpike. She works from
midnight to 7 a.m., and she said that
although her schedule did not interfere with her classes, it was still hard because she needed to sleep during the day.
"I'm usually tired, and I can't go out at night. It's also hard to get homework done on time," she said.
"I like working," Woods said. "It's better for helping me budget my study time than if I were not working.
"The best thing about work-study is that you're pretty much guaranteed a job anywhere you apply. There haven't really been any disadvantages until this semester. They overspend their budget last spring, so I almost didn't get as many hours as needed."
The Student Employment Center has several programs that promote on and off campus jobs.
Rachel Rademacher, coordinator of student employment, said that work-study students were in demand because the federal government paid 70 percent of the students' wages. But she said, "You
don't have to be in financial need to explore the programs we have. Not all are based on financial need."
One form of work-study is the Kansas Career Work-Study Program, which is state-subsidized and reimburses employers 50 percent of a student's wages. Student eligibility is determined by the employment center, and employers must be Kansas-based to participate.
The employment center can also provide information about the Youth Educational Services program, which allows students to work with "at risk" youth in Lawrence, Topeka and Kansas City. A student does not need to be an education major, but eligibility is determined by the employment center.
Unemployed students must search the town for job opportunities
Centers give advice and tips for getting jobs on, off campus
By Christina Slape Special to the Kansan
Some off-campus and all on-campus jobs are posted on the job board outside 26 Strong. On-campus jobs include student-hourly positions. They include clerical work, museum security and food service jobs. Student-monthly positions include graduate teaching assistantships and research assistantships. Most student-hourly jobs pay minimum wage. These jobs are open to all KU students who meet the qualifications, Rademacher said.
Tutoring students is also an option. Those interested in tutoring who have 15 hours of course work in the subject and a grade point average of 0.3 or better may get a job description and an application at 108 Supportive Educational Services, south of the military science building, near Malot Hall. The pay is $6 an hour, and tutors are needed in a variety of subjects.
Looking for a job in Lawrence can be an intimidating and humbling experience. But services both on and off campus can help students in their job searches.
The Student Employment Center, 33 Strong Hall, provides services for students looking for work at the University of Kansas or in lawrence.
She said that the job board changed daily and that students should check back often.
Rachel Rademacher, coordinator of student employment, advises students to be persistent and explore all options.
"I'm sure there are more positions than there are students to fill them," she said.
Another service available to students is Dial-A-Job (864-4623), a 24-hour job listing that is updated every day during the school year. This service is provided by the department of human resources.
The Kansas Job Service Center also posts openings on a job board, but applicants must register with the service and meet with an interviewer before applying for a posted job, Pritchard said. The average hourly wage offered is between $4.25 and $5.50.
Many students, however, opt to work off campus. Newspapers and public and private employment agencies also assist students by advertising job openings. But competition for jobs is stiff in Lawrence.
Michael Pritchard, manager of the Kansas Job Service Center, 833 Ohio St., said, "It is tough out there, but that's also on the national level, not just in Lawrence. That's why the early bird gets it."
"The best thing I can tell people is to start early," he said. "Many young people come in at three or four in the afternoon. They need to come early and let the staff and interviewers know they're out there looking. They should come in dressed and ready for work, and they also need a good attitude, especially with the job market as it is now."
The service advertises both part-time and full-time jobs, which are usually working with city crews, park services, or retail and wholesale establishments, Pritchard said.
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