My On-Campus Job is the Bomb-Diggity
Having a job in college sounds like a drag, but it really doesn’t have to be. This is the first semester I’ve had a job on campus, and let me tell ya, it is a piece of cake. I am working for Vanderbilt Technology Support Services (TSS for short) in various free computer labs located across campus, but the day-to-day operations of this “job” are sitting at a desk and doing my homework, occasionally giving creepy grins to the people walking into the lab.
GUESS WHAT. I am writing this blog from work right now, as I am typing this sentence and reading it with my eyeballs. This is an awkward way of saying that working in a computer lab is a wonderful way to ensure that you set aside several 3-4 hour chunks of time each week to finish that homework that you’ve been procrastinating. I get my best homework done while I am working because there are no friends to distract me with pick-up games of soccer or cupcake-eating contests. So far, the only real assistance I’ve given to anyone in the computer lab has been reloading the black-and-white printer with paper. Another time, someone asked me for a pair of scissors, but I was unable to locate any in the lab. So there you have it, I’m 0 for 1 in terms of helpfulness.
On Fridays, my shift is a little bit more exciting because I work in the Center Building, which is the headquarters of sorts for TSS. This is where all of the extra keyboards and desktop computers and mountains of tech-y cords are kept when they are not in Vandy classrooms. On the way over to the Center Building, I unlock the Wilson computer lab with a special key, which makes me feel quite powerful. Most weeks I work on homework in my special student worker room (where I can spy on the other computer labs on the surveillance camera feed) until someone from the TSS staff comes to give me a task. Tasks can range from banging old keyboards against a desk until 10-year-old bread crumbs fall out to going to the Garland computer lab to measure the wall for a banner. The Center Building is the most fun place to have a shift because Lola, our boss, works there. She is the sweetest lady ever, and sometimes she offers me chips and salsa in the break room.
The best part about working for TSS is that occasionally, when I’m working in the Center Building, they ask me to drop off or pick up computers in the middle of campus. This requires taking the Information Technology Honda out and driving it on the walkways in the middle of campus. It is exhilarating to drive a full-fledged car on sidewalks meant for walking only, especially during passing periods. The TSS car is special in that it can be parked ANYWHERE on campus. Thrills on thrills.
There are lots of opportunities on campus for students to obtain jobs like mine, “desk” jobs that only require students to help people find information when they are asked. This is an awesome way to make a little bit of money on the side while buckling down on your homework. Hooray for employment!