Advice for a college student

Parents Forum
#1

<p>Hey parents, I seek your wisdom. I'm a freshman at Wake and I currently do work study in the political science department. I plan on majoring in political science and economics. During the last months I have been considering leaving the work study next year and becoming a resident technology advisor. Here are my reasons for wanting to switch (not in order of importance):</p>

<p>1) Currently, I work for $8 and hour and I can make up to $1000 a semester. That means that I get paid $2000 a year. However, if I became an RTA, I would not work by the hour and I would get paid $3000 a year. That means $1k less in loans for the next three years.</p>

<p>2) Work. Even though I spend an hour a day on CC, there is a lot of work to do. My current workload in the department is pretty easy but takes a lot of researching. If I became an RTA, I should add I am a computer expert, I would work whenever a student in the residence hall needed help. I know the lady in charge of the RTA program (I e-mailed her a lot during the summer break) and I know two RTAs and they seem to like their job.</p>

<p>The things that are holding me back from switching:</p>

<p>1) Experience. I like the professors in the department a lot and I would feel really bad if I just left them after a year. I would also lose some "experience" and knowing the professors, and simply put, not have this listed on my resume. No flames please :-). I like working there somewhat, but I don't get much "experience" so there isn't much to lose by switching over to RTA. I mostly do some research, photocopy, and other little things.</p>

<p>I'm willing to hear anything you all have to say, don't hold back :-). If you need any clarification, please let me know. Danke!</p>

#2

<p>Unfortunately, I have no wisdom for your question, but how do you like Wake, are the academics intense? Kids happy? Common majors? Drinking?</p>

#3

<p>Even though I don't have any other college to compare Wake to, I think 80% of the students here are surviving fine here. Students are very happy but sometimes the work load can get pretty big. Multiple tests on the same day, multiple papers due on the same day, a lot of readings, these can be very intense. I have a 3-page paper due tomorrow on a 40-page article on war crimes tribunals and atrocities. Then a 12-page paper due in 12 days on some controversial economic issue I've yet to select. Not to mention an in-class essay on Friday. I'll possibly have a quiz in one of my five classes too. :-)</p>

<p>There are a lot of poly sci and english majors here. Almost no music, not many non-Spanish language majors. Drinking is well... 40% of the students here are either in frats or sororities. As the Wake website says, Greek life is pretty big at Wake. I would say that 70% of the students here "live" the Greek life. Meaning, friday nights can get pretty wild. It's not too bad now, but at the beginning some of the froshes got way in over their heads and couldn't help themselves too much in their first experience with alcohol.</p>

#4

<p>I forgot to answer your first question... I lava Wake!</p>

#5

<p>I don't know anything about Wake Forest, but if you were my son, I would advise you to work in the job that is compatible with your area of interest and meaningful to you. If your current job is, even if it is paying less, I would advise you to stay there. The contacts with professors helps a lot in the future. </p>

<p>RTA ain't cracked up to be all that exciting in my book. You will get 1 AM calls to help with the computer and some calls are pretty silly sometimes. It's is a systems administrator's job and pretty frustrating. However, you might have a different angle on it, everyone is different. Then there is the problem with viruses and everyone being shut out and you getting angry calls...I don't know, not exciting.</p>

#6

<p>If you are an RTA for Apple pcs and notebooks only, I'd say go for it! (Couldn't help putting in my plug, I am biased).</p>

#7

<p>Sounds like a nobrainer to me. You are pretty clear which way you want to go.</p>

#8

<p>Surely I'm leaning towards the RTA program. Do you all have any other advice? I still have a couple of months to decide.</p>

#9

<p>i'm a college senior and I say .. go for it. do what YOU want to do, not what looks "good" on paper. if you think you'd be happier with the other job (money aside).. then do it. i'm all for making my own decisions and doing what i want to do - whether or not everyone else agrees :) i quit my work study job that i had for 3 years to work for another company, and i haven't regretted it yet. :)</p>

#10

<p>Thanks fendergirl :-)! I'm going to sleep on it over the year and see.</p>