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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter.

“How was your semester been?” “Oh it’s good, you know, busy, but good.” It’s a script at this point.

I have essentially always been busy at college with jobs, classes and clubs. This is NOT an article about playing for the “whos the busiest” award. That gets annoying, even though we are all guilty of it, but I really love to become involved in work settings. Honestly, it’s part of the way I justify my massive student loan amount. College is expensive, but the more involved I get, the more the cost seems worth it.

Today, I’ll be discussing the jobs I have had during my three years at Bonaventure so far: 

  1. Friedsam Library – Circulation Desk – 2nd semester of freshman year
    1. When I was on work study, while my brother and I were both in college, I was able to apply to a few more on-campus jobs through this benefit. Essentially, the front desk role consists of, mostly, doing your homework while occasionally checking out books or answering questions about staplers or dry-erase markers. The main other part of the job was about once a week, Maureen, our boss, would take you for a 20 minute shelving session. We would go through shelves and make sure all the books, by alphabet and call number, were placed in the correct order. This was so students would be able to find these books in the stacks. It sounds kind of boring, but in Marueen’s defense, she made it pretty interesting by making it a competition system with points and rankings. By the end of the semester, I had won the award for best shelving and was gifted a beautiful goody bag. After I had my work study revoked I had to quit this job, but I did enjoy the time I had. 
  1. Mt. Irenaeus Communication Intern – spring semester of freshman year – present
    1. Honestly, this job kind of fell into my lap. Since September of my freshman year I have been involved in the Mountain in some way. It became even more special to me when I learned through family stories that this is where my grandmother took a retreat immediately following the receival of her fatal diagnosis – ALS. So, it’s no shock that when they asked if I wanted to join the team, I happily said yes. Essentially, my role is to run the Mt. Irenaeus student Instagram (@mtirenaeus_happenings) and organize the monthly e-newsletter that is sent to donors, friends of the Mountain and tons of Bonaventure alumni. I do other little tasks here and there, but the most notable part of this role is the people. My coworkers aren’t just my coworkers, they are my second family. We have dinners together and we even just saw a movie together in Olean. If they’ll have me, I will stay in this role until I graduate. I wish I could work more than five hours a week! 
  1. Peer Coach – spring semester of my freshman year – present
    1. I did not realize until writing this article, but I think this may be my favorite job. Every August, I get assigned a list of about 12-16 incoming freshman who I mentor for the upcoming semester. During Welcome Days, basically a second orientation, we help to set up campus for them and facilitate trainings. As the semester goes on, we plan bonding events for them and send weekly emails with some helpful upperclassman reminders. I have become really close to some of my “peer kids” and I have helped them through some challenging times. 
  1. DJ at the Burton Hotel – fall semester of my junior year – present
    1. This role is a bit misleading. Some assume that when I say, “I am a DJ”, that I’m behind some booth with headphones. In reality, I really just sit there! Not actually, don’t worry. Before my shifts (either Thursday, Friday or Saturday) I create a playlist, or use one I have already made, and pack my aux cords. I just plug in my phone and take requests all night! While I do this, I add a lit bit more to my job description by scanning the back room for anyone who may need water, a girl with a mysterious looking guy, or anything really out of the ordinary. I also have to have a certain level of music knowledge so that when I get a request, I know whether or not I can actually accept it. 90% of the time I do, but anecdotally, someone requested Dress by Taylor Swift, and I did indeed deny that request. I’m sorry! It’s just NOT a bar song. I couldn’t. Even though the shifts are long and it can be a bit draining, I really do enjoy this job. I have always been a HUGE music lover and seeing how my playlists can create some core memories is the best feeling in the world. The people are so fun to bond with and it’s a very good way to make some easy money. 
  1. Biology Supplemental Instructor – fall semester of sophomore year – present
    1. This job gives me a bit of an existential crisis. Should I change my career path and become a teacher? Middle school science perhaps? Or even second grade? Regardless, I enjoy this job. My role is about five hours a week that consists of: sitting in on lectures, creating my lesson plans and then delivering them! I create practice exams, Jeopardy reviews and other worksheets students can work on outside of class in a very low pressure environment. Bio 101, while it may sound easy since it has the “101”, is really hard. It’s a LOT of content and very overwhelming. I love being able to make this class just a little more approachable. 

As a disclaimer, this article might make it seem as though I am a bit of money hog. I am NOT (I promise)! Not that I need to justify myself, but I do genuinely enjoy all these jobs. I also love how diverse they all are. They each make up all of the little nuances that make me, me!

Claire Fisher is the co-campus correspondent for the St. Bonaventure Her Campus chapter. She is responsible for the general managing of chapter and executive board logistics with her roommate and co-president, Leah! Claire even implemented a once-a-year print issue of HC at SBU. Claire is currently a senior studying Communication, Social Justice & Advocacy with focuses on theology and political science. Aside from Her Campus, Claire currently serves as co-president of Jandoli Women in Communication, passionate about representation in the media field, and works in the University Ministries building. Lastly, she is a content creator and the communications officer for St. Bonaventure College Democrats. In her time away from academics, Claire loves to walk on local trails or lay in the sun, especially while listening to playlist she made herself. Her love language is music; she even works as a DJ at a local bar! A fun fact you may not know about Claire is that her favorite game show is Press Your Luck.