(*This is my free subject article)

When I arrived here, I noticed that many students have a job on campus. I wanted to find out about that because we don't have the opportunity to work in our school in France.

What kind of job?

Some students work at the library where they help the librarian few hours per week. Other work at the gym where they are supervisors. I have also seen a notice for a job: being the University's mascot during matches! Also some students are part of Character U. This is a Desales' program to help freshmen when they begin college. Each mentor supervise 10 freshmen during a year and are here to help them. They also organize activities like trips or keynote speakers. For example this semester the Olympic Gold medalist in gymnastics Carly Patterson came at DeSales! Each mentor is a junior or a senior and they are paid because it is recognized as a job for all the time they spend to organize this. But the job I particularly want to talk about is the tutoring. Indeed, the University offers to student help for their classes and this help is provide by students! How does this work?

Being a tutor

To be a tutor you have to be very good in a class and after you ask to the University to become a tutor, or the University, through Ann Koefer, asks you. You work a few hours per week at the same time for example every tueday from 2pm to 3pm you are able to help students. There is a specific room where you have to go. Tutoring is really interesting for two points:

• First one, even if no one come you still paid! You can bring your homework and study one hour like that you are paid to study!
• Second one, each hour is paid twice! How is it possible? For each hour of tutoring is open to more than one student. So potentially you can tutor up to four students. This is why tutoring is different from a private lesson and so is paid twice. 

For the organization part, every two weeks you complete a time sheet (do not forget to write that you have work from 2pm to 4pm even if you were just there from 2pm to 3pm) and two weeks later you will pe paid for this period. You receive a paycheck that you can cash at your bank or at the bookstore on campus they exchange it against cash (there is a 50cents fee).

My experience as a tutor

As I am French, and as DeSales offers French classes, Ann Koefer ask me to be a tutor in French. Every tueday from 3:30pm to 4:30pm I help students who needed. It was very interesting to help people but also to be part of the tutoring process. Indeed, I felt more like another student because I was involved in the campus life. I really liked to do this work on campus and I think it is a really good idea. First because you can earn a bit of money and also because it is important for students to help each others. You havve to be there every week so it give you some responsabilities. 

What about you?

You are a French (or Spanish) student going to DeSales next year and you want to be a tutor? What you have to do is talk about this with Brian MacDonald and Ann Koefer (her office is in the building Dooling) As you are a stranger you will need a Social Card to be paid. It will take half an hour to do it in Allentown and after you will receive it in your mailbox (on campus!) Ann Koefer will probably make you fill two or three forms and a last one at Carol Ritter's office (she works at the payroll office) If you need any help I am sure they will help you!

My opinion

To conclude, jobs on campus is a really good thing for both students and universities. From one hand the university doesn't have to pay someone to do the job, and students are those who know the best all these things (the gym for example). From another hand, this allow students to earn a bit of money, to be responsible and to have some experience for their résumé.

I hope you enjoy this article and that you discovered something!

Pauline