I’m sure everyone has got some great plans for this summer. Heck, I’m so excited that I’m already looking ahead to next summer. In the months to come, there will be plenty of relaxing and having fun. We will return to our hometown jobs at the supermarket or the burger joint and try and make some cash for next year. In addition to that a lot of crazy BSU students (myself included) will be mixing up their usual summer routines and working on some weird thing called an ATP grant.
What is the ATP Grant?
The office of Undergraduate Research on campus runs a lot of great programs that allow undergrads to do some really cool projects- like the ATP summer grant. Basically, you propose a research project or creative work to the office in the form of a proposal. They accept all kinds of projects from every discipline; scientific research, ehnographies, or even a collection of short stories (which is what I chose).
If your proposal is accepted, you work for a ten week period on your project and complete it in late August. It requires about 40 hours a week, so it’s intense, but well worth it. You will be required to work with a mentor, a professor or staff member from the field you want to study. So if you have a favorite professor, that comes in handy. And you know what happens at the end of the summer? Well you present your project at the undergrad symposium, you get a great line to put on your resume, (basically clinches grad school from what I’ve heard) and, oh yeah, they cut you a check for 4,000 dollars. That’s right 4,000 big ones for your all the work you put into your project, now all the benefits of the program are exciting but to broke college kids 4,000 dollars sounds like a fortune. How can you beat that?
What else can you do?
Now if your interested in doing some kind of project but don’t want to wait until next summer, don’t worry. The office of undergraduate research also offers semester grants for students. It’s the same basic idea as the ATP grant but it’s during a regular school semester. For more info on both these research opportunities and more you can visit the office located on the second floor of the library or you can check out their website.
Are you interested in these awesome grant programs? Have any questions about the process of applying? Want to make a cool $4K?
It’s that time of year again. The weather is warming up and classes are winding down. Our natural instinct as humans may be to take it easy and enjoy ourselves as summer gets closer and closer, but it is essential for students to stay on tract. These last few weeks could be pivotal when it comes to a high grade (or one you’re not so proud of…).
Stay on Track
With such little time left in the semester, students often tend to not worry as much about their classes as they did at the beginning (myself included). Unfortunately, the final weeks also usually mean all your papers and projects and tests are coming, and if that’s the case, you can’t afford to slack off. Even if you are doing really well in a clas,s it would be foolish to let some last semester slacking cost you your shot at Dean’s List.
Registration
Registration is an animal of its own. The scurry for class openings and pre-requisites begin, and if you don’t give it your all you will fall behind and possible miss something you need. The first thing you need to do is make sure you meet with your advisor. I’m sure the upper classmen know this but for Freshmen it can be confusing. It’s not like registering for this spring’s classes, you are no longer guided through every step and are expected to do it on your own. You must meet with your advisor before you can register for classes. Registration begins April 17th so time is running out. Sit down, plan your schedule out along with a few back up plans and be prepared for the madness that is registration week.
Basically what I’m telling you guys is I know the weather is nice, and I know how it can be hard to stay focused with only a few weeks left. I am just as excited to start my break but focus on school for just a little longer and you shouldn’t run into any unnecessary problems. Focus on your schedule, get your papers done, study for finals and then ENJOY SUMMER!
The time has come to start filling out those vigorous summer job applications. I know it might seem boring, but if you don’t act soon, all the good ones will be gone. So, what can a broke college student without a degree do to make some extra cash? Luckily, BSU has a few of it’s own summer jobs available to students. Just head over to the job listing board and see what’s available. If you’d rather keep your distance from Bridgewater, don’t worry! There’s plenty to do OFF campus as well.
Summer Tour Guide
We’ve all seen the large groups of high school kids being escorted around campus. If you’re a good speaker with great people skills, this might be the perfect summer job for you. Walking people around and promoting the campus outside on most days could be a great way to spend the summer- and maybe even get a tan!
Internships
What better way to get some experience in your field and maybe earn some money along the way than a summer internship? Bridgewater State has got some great internship programs available- even if they are not all paid . Experience in your field of work before you graduate is going to look awesome on ANY kind of application, so if you get the chance, go for it! You can check out BSU’s career info page for more details.
Restaurants
I’ve always thought that restaurants were decent places to work, but don’t get me wrong: they are some of the busiest, toughest places to spend your summer nights. Busy means high pressure- and if you make a good impression on a boss you might end up with something far more valuable to your future than a handful of cash: a strong recommendation letter.
Fast Food (Oh NO!)
When applying for jobs in the past, I always found that leaving the fast food jobs for the “there’s no other hope” situation was a good idea. I mean, come on- NO one wants to work fast food, but there are a lot of places right near campus: Taco Bell, KFC, McDonald’s (side-note: my great-grandfather’s name was Ronald McDonald), etc… These places will give you LOTS of summer hours to help you build up your saving account before the fall rolls around.
So what are your plans for summer jobs? Any great ideas?
