Working as an Undergraduate Student
Tufts offers a lot of work opportunities on campus. I have work-study and I have been working at different jobs on-campus and I thought it would be helpful to shine a light on what working as an undergraduate student can look like! There is a wide range of job opportunities on-campus from working at the library to the cafes. Generally, on-campus jobs tend to be flexible with hours because they understand that your academics come first. So, I will be sharing some of the jobs I had in my previous years and what I am doing now as a junior!
In my freshman year, I worked two on-campus jobs. The first one was at a developmental biology lab at 200 Boston Ave, which is where a lot of the biology labs are located. It is around 10-15 min from campus, and there are undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. students working there. I worked once a week and the hours are pretty flexible. By working at a lab, I was able to gain foundational laboratory skills. So, I think if you are interested in doing scientific research, working at a lab would be a great choice. For my second job, I worked as an assistant for the chemistry lab materials. I was responsible for helping the TAs set up the materials at the beginning of the lab and lent out lab materials to students. For the duration of the lab, I had a lot of downtimes, so these jobs would be ideal for someone who is busy but is still interested in making some money.
I changed jobs in my sophomore year because my interests and course load changed. My interests changed so I discontinued working at the developmental biology lab. Also, due to the heavy course load, I was not available for the times the chemistry labs took place so I had to discontinue working as an assistant for the chemistry lab materials. However, I was able to replace my two previous jobs with two new jobs. I was able to find work as a Tisch Library student assistant. I worked at the front desk where I was responsible for lending out materials such as laptop chargers and books, answering patron’s questions, and being a general resource for students at the library. I enjoyed working there because the hours were flexible and the work environment was ideal. The second job was with the Tufts Literacy Corps as an English tutor for an elementary school student. I tutored the student once a week and it was very rewarding. Therefore, I decided to continue.
So, now as a junior, I am continuing my work as a tutor for the Tufts Literacy Corps. I am tutoring middle school math this year and I meet with the student once a week. Starting this year, I am working as a blogger for Tufts Admissions. I like working as a blogger because it helps me reflect on my experiences at Tufts and share my experiences. With the pandemic, I was looking for remote jobs. Luckily, both of my jobs this year are remote–at least for the fall semester. I find both of my jobs interesting and rewarding. Although I am taking a heavy course load this semester again, I think it is very manageable. I hope to continue my work next year!
As someone on work-study and financial aid, I am working to finance my education. These are only a few jobs that Tufts offers, there are so many different types of work you can do on-campus. Overall, I think working as an undergraduate is a great opportunity to gain useful skills for the future and meet new people at Tufts!