As college tuition climbs across the country and at Eastern, juggling a job with classes is becoming more popular with students and the only option for those who need to pay their own way. Whether students are looking to earn extra spending cash or trying to pay tuition bills, choosing the right kind of job can make going to a part-time job after a hard day of class much easier.

Mark Hudson, director of housing and dining, said employment opportunities in food service are the most popular among students opting to work on campus, and dining service also provides the most options.

He said students can take advantage of the flexible schedules of on-campus jobs. On-campus employers understand that school comes first and are willing to work around students’ academic schedules.

“As the cost of education rises, there is more pressure for students to cover those expenses,” Hudson said.

Fran Nelms, a senior elementary education major, said she prefers working on campus because she does not own a car, making transportation to work more convenient.

“The hours are flexible and I can walk to work,” she said. “I can go straight from class to work with no problem. I find it a lot easier to walk to work than worry about transportation.”

On-campus employment also offers unique leadership opportunities as resident directors, student supervisors and residence hall front desk attendants, Hudson said.

“It’s an opportunity to interact with your peers and gain experience in management-like positions,” he said.

Though on-campus employment has positive points, Adam Rotsch, a junior psychology major, said he chose to find a job off campus after seeing drawbacks to on-campus jobs.

Rotsch, who works with people with mental and physical handicaps, said his job looked more appealing than on-campus options because of the type of work and better pay. He also prefers getting paid twice a month as opposed to the monthly paycheck the university distributes.

“You need money more than once a month,” he said. “If I get $500 bucks at (the end) of the month that’s great, but I could have used $250 two weeks into it.”

Though monthly paychecks seem like a negative to some students, Hudson said he believed the pay period actually helps students learn how to budget money. The university is also working on ways to pay students every two weeks.

Maureen Tulley, a senior family and consumer science major, switched jobs to work off campus after realizing off campus jobs paid more.

“You can make a couple more dollars an hour, although it isn’t as flexible,” she said.

Off-campus employers often expect workers to work weekends and over breaks, she said.