<p>My old school put me on a waiting list for work study, despite the fact that I had an on campus job. I worked on campus for two years and never received any work study because I never came off the waiting list. Meanwhile, people I knew who were granted work study never found jobs and couldn’t leverage it. Now am at a new school and am in that situation myself. I was granted work study for last quarter, but I failed to find an on campus job. I applied to every job that came open, but since I was a Spring transfer I had no connections at the school and all the jobs went to established students. (I tried to get off campus jobs, too, but not having a car was a sticking point for every one I was up for.)</p>
<p>It just makes me feel like work study is a scam. I really struggled through last quarter. I lived on beans, potatoes and skillet bread. I never went out because I never had money. I was counting on the work study and it never came through. I’m afraid I will be stuck in the same situation again.</p>
<p>Work study is NOT a scam. BUT you do have to find your own job. At my kids’ schools there were ALWAYS jobs washing dishes in the dining halls or making phone solicitations for the school…both work study funded jobs. They weren’t the jobs most kids wanted (most wanted to work in the library or manning an info desk someplace). I’m very surprised the dining halls at your school didn’t have openings.</p>
<p>I’m surprised too, actually. The quarter before I transferred the dining halls had an open work system. Students could just show up any time it was open and work however long they wanted. They didn’t have that this quarter, though. Maybe they were getting too many people.</p>
<p>Perhaps the dining halls changed the system in order to get a more reliable, even flow of workers. It doesn’t help them any if 25 students show up on Monday and only 5 on Tuesday.</p>
<p>Don’t give up hope. The work-study jobs are out there but it sounds like you may need to be quick to get them at that school. Find out when the jobs are posted (usually on-line at the start of the fall semester) and start checking for job opportunities a few days before that. Be ready to “pounce” and get your name in as soon as you find some.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>