Brockport students balance work and studies

by Allyson Osborne:

Working while you’re in school can be a difficult task to maintain. Finding the balance between school life and work life can be challenging, especially if you have to commute to work.  Fortunately, if you’re able to find a job on campus, it all becomes a little easier to manage.

The College at Brockport offers many employment opportunities for students who want to work. Many students choose to work at Harrison or Brockway, the two dining halls on the campus.

23-year-old Amanda Spencer works as a painter for BASC, and as an art and international studies double major at the college, the job gives her practical experience for her major.

Spencer’s work schedule depends on when the dining halls are holding events. She said while there are some weeks that she doesn’t work at all, there are other weeks that she has a full schedule of painting. When she does work, she has guidelines for what she’s painting, but she also has some creative freedom.

“Sometimes they have more or less specific things that they want,” Spencer said. “But a lot of times, we’re left up to our own artistic interpretations of what we want to add to certain windows. It ranges depending on the event.”

There are more employment options beyond the dining halls. 20-year-old Brooke Hill is a French and criminal justice double major at the college, and she works as a fitness center attendant at the SERC. Her main responsibilities include supervising the patrons of the gym. Hill said the job requires more than it seems on the surface.

“I’m CPR and first-aid certified and my main responsibility is to ensure the safety of the patrons working out,” Hill said. “I’m also responsible for handing out equipment, answering questions, spotting for the bench presses, and keeping the center tidy.”

Spencer and Hill both expressed that the convenience of an on-campus job was an important factor for them.

“Especially for someone like me who doesn’t have a car and doesn’t drive, it’s really important that I can work on campus,” Hill said. “I can schedule work in between my classes and meetings, and I don’t have to worry about fitting a commute into my schedule.”

Spencer has another job off-campus at Buckmans Car Wash in Greece, but she said that having a job where you live and go to school has its perks.

“When I have to go to work [at Buckmans Car Wash], I lose 45 minutes of driving when I could be doing work or something else,” Spencer said.

Although their jobs differ greatly, Spencer and Hill both emphasised that students who want to work on campus should take action.

“If you want to work on campus, you have to look around and apply, because there are plenty of jobs on campus,” Spencer said.

Hill reflected a similar sentiment about taking initiative.

“Check the Brockport website, their Snapchat, their Instagram, because they post jobs on there,” Hill said. “Be proactive. If you’re interested, look for it, and don’t miss their deadlines.”