Financial Aid

The Benefits of Student Employment

Should I work? Should I wait?

These are questions many incoming students ask themselves. Balancing the new responsibilities of college can be challenging! Many Western Illinois University students do choose to work while attending college (over 2,900 work on campus!).

National studies indicate that students who work on campus, fewer than 20 hours a week, do just as well (if not better) as their non-working counterparts. Also, students who are “connected” to campus report a higher satisfaction with their college life, have better grades, graduate in higher numbers, and - parents you’ll like this one - graduate more quickly.

What are the benefits of working on campus?

  • Connection to full-time staff interested in your success as a student
  • Ability to develop professional relationships that can lead to letters of support/recommendation
  • Gain experience in a variety of areas
  • Work with employers who tend to be more flexible with your hours
  • Get to know other students
  • Earn money (of course!) to help pay your expenses

You may be encouraged by those around you to “take it easy” your first year in order to navigate campus life. Working on campus can actually help you make that transition much more quickly as you are more likely be surrounded by students and staff who will help and support you.

Sound interesting? Western has an online job board - check it out online!