When I was applying to colleges, like most of my peers, one of the biggest factors in me picking a college was affordability. I had heard horror stories of people leaving college with huge amounts of debt and I did not want to be one of them. Wellesley’s incredible with financial aid. For domestic and permanent residents of the U.S. Wellesley is a need-blind institution. This means that your family’s ability to pay won’t affect whether or not you will get into Wellesley. And, for all students accepted, the school will meet 100% of demonstrated need.* You can even use the MyinTution Calculator to determine how much (within, on average, 5,000 dollars) Wellesley will cost your family. With that being said, this post isn’t ~necessarily~ about that. This is about working on campus and why I prioritize working both on and off campus.
First of all, I work two jobs: one at the Office of Admissions and another at B/SPOKE, an indoor cycling studio. I work on campus as part of a work-study which is part of my financial aid package, but also because I love meeting new people and talking to them about Wellesley, a place I feel has become my second home. It also allows for me to learn skills that aren’t necessarily taught in the classroom such as talking to strangers, how to answer the phone, crowd control, public speaking, etc. I also get to blog! Blogging is something I have always wanted to try, I just hadn’t had the opportunity to try until now. (YAY!) Most of all, it’s fun. So, again, if you’re ever in the office say hi!
My job at B/SPOKE is off campus in the town of Wellesley, and out of 15 employees, there is only one other Wellesley student who works there. I started working there after falling in love with spinning in the spring. It started as a great way to get my mind off of school and extracurriculars and just focus on the music blasting and sweating. Now that I’m an employee of the studio the magic continues and I am often there twice a day; once working and again to take a class. If I have any advice to give to someone considering schools or is already attending college is to find a place, an activity, or a job that allows you to get out of your head and find an amazing community. That’s what B/SPOKE has done for me. True I sometimes have to be at work at 5am when I feel like I just can’t get out of bed, but the good vibes, the energy, and people are ultimately worth it. Find something that does that for you and prioritize it.
I’ll be the first to admit– I work A LOT, maybe even a little too much sometimes. And, yes it’s nice to be making money and feel independent and in charge, but most importantly, it’s nice to have communities, both on and off campus that allow for me to be someone other than just a student.
xoxo,
caroline
* For more information about affording Wellesley and the financial aid process click here!