"WORKING FOR THE DEGREE"

With the rising cost of tuition, college graduates are being left with enormous amounts of student loan debt and the fear of being able to take the degree they worked so hard to get, to make a living. As a college student studying to become a mechanical engineer, I feel the pressure of being able to provide for yourself and live on a tight budget. The biggest lesson I have learned in college, aside from the scholarly knowledge and organization techniques, is how to apply myself and put my skills to work.

Student work study jobs on college campuses range from front desk managers to welding technicians to math tutors to personal trainers. These jobs give students the opportunity to use their skills and knowledge to gain confidence in their abilities and to sustain their living habits with a paycheck at the end of the month. Students manage to balance a part-time job and living on their own, all while going to school full time to pursue a degree. These are only a few of many student employees that work on California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo.