Choosing a Meal Plan at Purdue

For the 2016-2017 school year, Purdue Dining & Catering will be offering six different meal plans. If you are an incoming freshman, four of these six possibilities will be open to you.

Boiler Flex Unlimited 500 Plan: For the Famously Hungry Student
If you plan to eat at a dining court three times a day, seven days a week, this is the plan for you, as you will have unlimited meal swipes. The Flex 500 plan is also most favorable for students who prefer to eat in retail operations, as it provides the student with $500 dining dollars (more than any other plan). Dining dollars allow students to pay using their ID rather than cash/credit at retail operations. The Boiler Flex Unlimited 500 Plan comes with an additional 8 meal swipes per week in one of our On-the-Go! or Take Out locations. Students on this plan also get 8 free guest meals per semester, adding up to 16 total guest meals per school year. This allows students to bring in friends and family without sacrificing dining dollars or Boiler Express totals. This plan costs $5,398.

Boiler Flex Unlimited 250 Plan: Unlimited on a Budget
Students on this plan also receive the yearly 16 guest meals, unlimited access to the dining courts, and 8 meal swipes per week in one of our On-the-Go! or Take Out locations. However, they get half the dining dollars of the previous plan ($250 as opposed to $500). The Flex 250 plan is more suitable for a student who does not plan to eat in retail operations frequently, but would still like to get in their three full meals a day. This plan costs $5,172.

13-Meal Track: For the Less Voracious Eater
This plan gives the student a finite number of meals per week. This plan is suited well to students who will likely skip breakfast in favor of sleeping in. With this meal plan, a student can purchase lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday, as well as lunch on Sunday. As this plan has a finite number of swipes, the student is free to spend as many of his or her 13 swipes in any of our On-the-Go! or Take Out locations as they would like. They also receive $450 dining dollars, allowing them to eat at retail operations or pay for friends at their discretion. This plan costs $4,554.

8-Meal Track: A Meal Plan on a Budget
This option is the cheapest, but it does not offer dining dollars to students, meaning they will have to pay with BoilerExpress or cash/credit at any retail operations. Similarly, they would have to use BoilerExpress or cash/credit to pay for friends or family. A student on this meal plan might have classes scheduled throughout the day and find his or herself only able to eat in the evenings and weekends. These students are also welcome to use as many of their meal swipes at any of our On-the-Go! or Take Out locations as they would like. This plan costs $2,998.

If you will be a Purdue student at sophomore status or above, two more options are available to you:

Boiler Block Plan: A Plan Off-Campus Students Might Be Particularly Interested In
This option provides students with a total 246 meals at the dining halls throughout an entire academic year. This plan is also unique in that these students are allowed to use their swipes on their friends or other guests. If you choose this plan, be sure to stay on top of how many swipes you have remaining! This plan also comes with $450 in dining dollars so students can take advantage of restaurants in the Union or other retail operations. These students are also welcome to use as many of their meal swipes at any of our On-the-Go! or Take Out locations as they would like. This plan costs $4,292.

Boiler Gold Plan: Available For Hawkins Hall Residents
It consists of $1500 dining dollars and no meal swipes. As Hawkins Hall residents have kitchens on each floor, students using this meal plan might cook the majority of their meals in the hall and occasionally get a meal or two per week at a dining operation. The Boiler Gold Plan is a good backup to have handy when working on group projects on campus or if you need a quick Starbucks pick-me-up during finals week! This plan costs $1500 for the academic year ($750 per semester).

When choosing your meal plan, you should take into account the amount of meals you eat regularly, as well as your class schedule and previous habits. You can upgrade your meal plan to add more meals at any time, so if you start out on the 13-Meal Track and find yourself wishing you could eat more often, you can change your meal plan mid-semester. Purdue will then bill you the difference. However, you cannot downgrade your meal plan mid-semester; you will have to wait until winter break to change it. While the financial costs should play a role in deciding which plan is right for you, always make sure you are getting enough to eat!

On-the-GO!

On-the-GO! is your carry-out option for dining. Located adjacent to Earhart, Ford and Windsor Dining Courts, On-the-GO! provides a variety of hot and cold sandwiches, salads, and snack items. Beverages are free when you swipe your PUID and use the refillable cup that is provided to each student during move-in. You may use multiple swipes per visit in On-the-GO! On-the-GO! offers convenience for students who don’t have time to stop and sit down for a meal. The service is quick and the choices are many.

One meal swipe = 1 entree & 3 side items + a free refill in your reusable mug

What You Will Find At On-the-GO!

Cereal bowls, milk, muffins, bagels, yogurt parfaits, Little Debbie snacks, granola, cookies, Pop Tarts, Smucker’s Uncrustables, snack mixes, cottage cheese, apple slices, whole fresh fruit, pita bread & hummus, entrée and house salads, wraps, sandwiches, veggie combos, Coke, coffee and more.

All On-the-GO! locations are open to all Purdue students using meal swipes. You can use multiple swipes if you’d like. On-the-GO! only accepts meal swipes that accompany your meal plan.

Looking for options other than the dining courts? 7 Extra Ways to Use Your Meal Swipes

Saving Money While Having Fun on the Purdue Campus

www.purdue.edu/mymoney

Looking for something to do on the weekend but running out of money? Try some of these fun activities available on Purdue’s campus to keep you entertained while saving money.

Purdue Student Union Board Events

The Purdue Student Union Board (PSUB) is a student run organization that provides students with different activities throughout the year. Most of the time the events they put on are free and involve getting free food! These events are a great way to meet new people, have fun, and save money. For a list of events take a look at their website as events change from semester to semester.

Explore

This is always an interesting way to spend a few hours. You can either walk around campus and visit places you have never been or take a walk across the bridge and see what downtown Lafayette has to offer. Or get in your car and see where the road takes you. You never know what you might find while exploring. Have you ever been to Purdue’s Horticulture Park? Definitely worth the short drive (or walk if you live in McCutcheon or Harrison hall).

Having a hard time deciding where to go on your adventure? Every time you come to an intersection while walking or driving, take out a coin and flip it. If it lands on heads take a right and if it lands on tails go left. Let fate decide your adventure!

Flicks at Fowler

Every few weeks PSUB will show a movie in Fowler Hall located in the Stewart Center (or on Slayter Hill when the weather is nice). Students can get in for free when they show their Purdue ID and general admission is $4. Not only do you get to see movies for free but they are fairly recent movies. Visit the PSUB website for dates and movie titles.

Trivia Night

Another event PSUB puts on for students is a trivia night which takes place in the Union Commons or Pappy’s Sweet Shop. Your Purdue ID is usually required to participate. They even give away prizes to the top team!  So grab your friends and test your knowledge on 90s, sports, television, and more!

CoRec

Looking for something a little more active? Try going to the CoREC. You get in free with your Purdue ID and they have everything from weights and treadmills to a pool and rock climbing wall. You can even join an intramural team if you are willing to pay a small fee. You then get to compete in your favorite sport with different teams.

These are just a few of the options for free things to do on Purdue’s campus. There’s always lots being offered so be sure to keep your eyes open and try something new!

Share your favorite ways to have fun in the comments below!

Don’t Forget Your Student Discount!

Student discounts are awesome. It’s the best surprise when you flash a cashier your student ID and automatically save money. There are so many opportunities to save just a bit when you buy that you’ve probably never even realized it. Certain companies even cater towards students by giving them special deals.

First, let’s start off with the two most important student discounts: NO TAX IN THE UNION and RIDING CITY BUS FOR FREE! Every time you dine in the Union (or buy a Starbucks treat) and show your student ID, you don’t have to pay taxes! Also, City Bus will take you anywhere on their routes for free with your student ID. Here are a few more vendors that offer deals just for students:

Amazon: Joining Amazon Student gets you free two-day shipping for six months and exclusive email offers. The only drawback is after the six months, you will be automatically upgraded to Amazon Prime. BUT, you will receive it at the discounted student price of $39/year instead of $79/year it is now and the reduced price can be used for up to 4 years. And with the Amazon store location in Krach, students can get free shipping directly to the campus store!

AT&T: Purdue students and employees can get 20% off standard voice and data plans! This includes the latest iPhone 4, other smart phones, regular cell phones, and Laptop Connect. Already have AT&T? You’re still eligible too! They’ll attach the discount to your existing plan and it can even extend to your family plan if you’re the primary user on the FamilyTalk account. Go here for more details.

Apple: If you buy a Mac or an iPad from the Apple Online Store for Education or the Apple store you’ll receive a $100 gift card for apps for a Mac and $50 gift card for apps for an iPad. Click here for more details on their current deal.

Can’t afford to buy a Mac or iPad now but need a new one for the school year? You’re in luck! Apple offers a monthly payment plan for students, click here!

Need to go grocery shopping? Sam’s Club has a discounted student membership. It’s $40 to start up a membership AND they give you a $15 Sam’s Club gift card! If you love buying in bulk, this is the deal for you. Also, certain Krogersupermarkets (known in the Lafayette area as ‘Payless’) offer 5% off your purchase.

What about insurance?

Worried about staying healthy through the long Indiana winter? If you don’t have health insurance, or are worried about your health insurance not working all the way out here in Indiana, you’re in luck! Purdue offers its own health insurance plan for students! You can go here to view the details on what insurance plan works best for you. If that doesn’t sound like the right plan for you, you can also go here and enter in your information.  The website will come up with cheapest rates that are only for students! I entered in my information, and my plans started at $68.50/month. While all the prices you see for health insurance seem steep, you have to remember that paying ahead of time will help you later in life when it is needed the most. It’s important to support good health in college, and having that reassurance of a health insurance is nice to have if you do get sick.

Another avenue student can receive discounts on is car insurance.  Most insurers have discount policies in place for students who receive good grades, if you are a student that only drives the parent’s car while on break, and if you drive a small amount of miles with your own car.  The best way to find more information about student discount policies is to contact your insurer.

Don’t feel like cooking? Here’s a list of restaurants that offer student discounts:

–Burger King: 10% off – ask your local restaurant if they take part

–McDonalds: 10% off – ask your local restaurant if they take part.

–Dairy Queen: 10% off

–Domino’s Pizza: Different discounts depending on your college location

–Papa Johns: Different discounts depending on your college location

–Pizza Hut: 10-20% off depending on location

–Qdoba: $5 student burrito meals

–Subway: 10% off

I found all of these here: In addition to the list above, below is a helpful list for if you find yourself needing to go on a shopping spree with all the money you’re saving:

–Ann Taylor LOFT: 15% off

–Ann Taylor: 20% off

–Banana Republic: 15% off

–Charlotte Russe: 10% off

–Club Monaco: 20% off regular priced items

–J. Crew: 15% off

–The Limited: 15% off

–Ralph Lauren Rugby: 15% off

–Urban Outfitters: 10% off on select dates

–Top Shop: 10% off

The best tip I found during my search for student discounts? Flash your student ID EVERYWHERE! You never know who will offer a student discount, and it can’t hurt to ask! You’d be surprised how many off-the-wall places you’ll end up saving money at.

Still want to save more? Here’s some websites that are solely dedicated to finding the best discounts for college students:

http://www.studentadvantage.com/content/?id=762

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/60-awesome-student-discounts-on-clothes-tech-travel-and-more

http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/blog/100-stores-that-give-a-student-discount/

 

Happy First Day of Classes New & Returning Boilermakers!

“HAIL PURDUE”*

To your call once more we rally, Alma Mater, hear our praise; Where the Wabash spreads its valley, Filled with joy our voices raise. From the skies in swelling echoes Come the cheers that tell the tale Of your vic’tries and your heroes, Hail Purdue! We sing all hail!

Hail, Hail to Old Purdue! All hail to our old gold and black! Hail, Hail to Old Purdue! Our friendship may she never lack, Ever grateful, ever true, Thus we raise our song anew, Of the days we’ve spent with you All hail our own Purdue.

When in after years we’re turning, Alma Mater, back to you, May our hearts with love be yearning, For the scenes of old Purdue.

Back among your pathways winding, Let us seek what lies before, Fondest hopes and aim e’er finding, While we sing of days of yore.

*The Purdue fight song copyrighted in 1913. Music by E.J. Wotowa, class of 1912; lyrics by J. Morrison, class of 1915.

The Purdue Area Bus System

http://www.purdue.edu/mymoney

Don’t want to bother with biking? Is it too far orjust too cold to walk? Say hello to the City Bus, the Greater Lafayette area bus system. This bus system is free for all Purdue students. All you need is your Purdue ID and you’re off and running.

The buses have different colored names with a sign at the top of the bus and a colored route on the bus map matching the name to help you determine if that’s the bus you want. Even though you’ll mainly just use the campus and regular loops in West Lafayette, this is not the limit of your map! You can take the bus to Lafayette as well. And if you’re out late at night, there’s no need to fear, there are actually two campus loops that run really late at night so you can take the bus home (or back to your car) when it gets dark.

Catching the bus is easy. Just figure out which stop you need to get you where you want to go, stand at the sign, and when you see your bus approaching stick out your arm so the driver sees you. The bus will stop for you and you can be on your way!

We all have those days where we are running a bit late, but that is alright! There are several ways to see when your bus is coming and when to be at the stop:

Text: There is a bus stop ID on the signs. You just need to text RT4 followed by the bus stop ID and Route to 41411. They will send you the next three departure times via text.

Double Map: Like the Marauder’s Map in Harry Potter, double map lets you see a bus’s location in real time. You can use this through the CityBus website or download the Double Map app on your smartphone.

MyRide: This smartphone friendly search allows you to enter in the bus stop number or street names to access information on your bus’s arrival time.

There are some stops where pulling the ‘stop’ wire just isn’t needed. So you don’t have to hear that annoying ring, the Ross-Ade bus always stops at the top of the hill for the parking lot. The Silver Loop bus almost always stops at Class of 1950. It’s like magic! All buses will stop at the transfer station across the bridge in Lafayette too.

So the next time you’re in for an adventure, try out City Bus. It’s much easier to use than you’d think!

Work Study Positions vs. Non-Work Study Positions

What is Work Study and How Do I Get It?

I’m sure at some point in your search for a job on campus you’ve stumbled across jobs that require ‘Federal Work Study’ but you’ve probably also seen plenty of jobs that don’t require it. In order to have a Federal Work Study (FWS) job, you have to have FWS eligibility in your financial aid awards. Being awarded FWS does require that you file a FAFSA and have a low Expected Family Contribution. Therefore, not everyone is eligible for FWS.

Don’t have FWS eligibility? That’s okay! Jobs that don’t require FWS are open for any student to apply for (as long as you meet their job criteria, of course). There are plenty of options for employment on campus for students!

So, what’s the difference?

The biggest difference really comes down to how you’re getting paid. If you’re working a regular job, then your employer is paying 100% of your paycheck. If you’re working a FWS job, you’re typically at a federal, state, local, or non-profit organization and your employer is paying about 30% of your paycheck (or 0% if you’re a reading/math tutor at an elementary school!), and the FWS program funding is paying the rest of your paycheck. It’s a huge benefit for non-profit employers because since they’re only paying a portion of their students’ paychecks, they can hire a more students.

But, how does having a FWS job affect ME?

Students who work FWS jobs report the income they made from FWS job, just like any other job, on the FAFSA but there is a second question that asks, “How much of the money you earned was from a Federal Need Based Program?” Reporting your FWS earnings on this question deducts it from your wages so it doesn’t count towards your Expected Family Contribution!

If you’re curious about whether or not you are eligible for Federal Work Study, you can log in and check your financial aid eligibility on your myPurdue account.

How to Save Money on your Textbooks

The cost of college today is all over the news. From every media outlet you can read, watch, or listen to, a professional talk about how student loan debt is at an all-time high and tuition and fees are rising. While this all may be true, talking about the issues over and over does not help any student attending college.

Per CollegeBoard.org,students can expect to pay almost $1300 per year for textbooks, and that number continues to rise year after year.Outlined below are some simple tips below to help you cut your overall college costs by spending less on your textbooks.

Rent if possible.

For the average college course, renting books is cheaper and less of a hassle for buying your textbooks. Everyone knows that buying a used book is cheaper than buying a new book, but when you go to sell your book back your “buy-back price” is much less than the buy price and in many cases the book store will not even purchase the book back. Plus, you may have to wait in long lines with unpredictable end-of-semester-weather for little recovery of your first investment. When you rent a book you pay a flat fee and return it by the end of your semester. If you use an online source like cheapbooks.com or www.chegg.com you can FedEx your textbook back to them within a reasonable time period after your semester ends. Local bookstores may also have an option to rent.

Look for an older edition of your textbook.

Calculus has not changed in 2000 years, but the story problems have. It’s not a bad idea to check with your professor to see if you can buy an older edition. I took a tax class where the new book was $300 and I refused to pay that price for one textbook. I bought an edition that was three years older for $0.62 on Amazon and received the updated tax codes (which were the only difference between the two textbooks) from my professor.

Look for the e-book.

An e-version could be an option offered by the publisher of your textbook. The online version sells for a fraction of the price of a new or used book. The only downside of purchasing the e-book version is sometimes there is a limited time frame you can use the textbook. If you want to keep the book for referring to after the class is over, this may not be the route for you. In addition, reading off of a computer or tablet screen doesn’t always feel the same as the paper version.

GOOGLE it.

It’s not just a phrase but a way of life for most college students. What will surprise you is how many titles are available on Google books.

Check Craigslist.

Besides garage sales, housing, and boats, you can find used books for sale from students who have taken your class. They want to find a way to get a few dollars back themselves on their old books.

Borrow the book from a friend who has previously taken the class. 

Maybe they weren’t able to sell the book back at the end of the year and you can help take that burden off their hands!

Share a book with a classmate and split the costs.

In this scenario I would still recommend buying a cheaper book and splitting the cost for even higher savings.

Check it out of the library.

Your campus library should have the textbook required by your class. You may not be able to leave the library with the book, but you could at least get some free studying done. Well, until the library closes that is.

Speak with your professor.

A lot of time the department requires a textbook to be purchased but the professor barely uses the material or provides the material needed in class. Try sending your professor or department head an email asking about the course materials. Plus, it never hurts to get to know your instructors better!

Let us know any suggestions you have to keep textbook prices low in the comments! 

Decorating Your Dorm at Purdue

 

Moving to college is a big adjustment! Out on your own, on your own schedule, it’s a massive change, and one often accompanied by homesickness. Decorating your dorm room is a great way to get that “home away from home” feeling and help reduce your home town blues. You can achieve decorating greatness without breaking the bank! Here are some tips on decorating your room.

The Mattress:

While a mattress and bed frame is provided, linens are not. The dimensions of the mattresses are 36″ x 78″, a standard twin-sized mattress is usually 38″ x 75″. Twin size bedding should usually fit, but getting bedding specifically for that size is a good option too. If you find your sheets don’t want to stay on, don’t get new ones! You can use safety pins on the corners to help keep it from sliding off the mattress.

Talk to your roommate(s):

Who’s bringing what? Do you really need two microwaves, and two fridges, and two futons? Deciding who brings what can really help save on costs and space.

Knick-knacks:

Honestly, dorm rooms are not suite-sized. There is only a finite amount of space within your room or within your space if you are sharing a room. Finding items that double as storage and decoration are often a good bet. For example, decorative jars to store small things on your desk or dresser top.  Not only are you saving money by not buying two separate items, but you also don’t need to buy/rent storage space for any extras.

Remember to pack light! You won’t be able to fit everything you own into a room that you’re sharing with someone else, so be efficient and courteous to your roommates.

Added advice: Command Strips are a life saver! Seriously, these things can be used for anything. Add a hook to one for a towel rack, or a necklace hanger. You can also hang wall art without damaging the walls. You would be amazed at all of the things that can be engineered with these things.

Furniture pieces:

Each residence hall comes with a bed, a desk, and a dresser. Do you need a futon and two chairs?  Probably not. Decide early with your roommate who’s bringing what and you can save space, confusion, time, and money. As a personal preference, one futon is awesome instead of two chairs. It’s a space saver and great to nap in, can you say the same about two chairs?

Flooring:

Believe it or not, all dorm floors at Purdue are tile. In the summer that’s fine, but it can get a little chilly in the winter, not to mention that it’s much easier to see and feel how dirty it is without carpeting.

While you can purchase a rug from any superstore, one of the best things I did for my dorm room was taking a trip to a carpet store. Left over pieces of carpet rolls are often discounted and buying the “scrap” is a cheap way to get a lot of floor covering and keep your feet warm! When I lived in Windsor, I got padded carpet that was left over from a carpet roll really cheap and it covered my floor completely. It’s definitely something to think about when pricing rugs.

Still lacking decoration inspiration? Check out some of these boards on Pinterest for some ‘pinspiration’ for your dorm this fall: this college’s dorm décor & DIY board, this girl’s dorm DIY board, and this blogger’s dorm décor board. Be sure to share any of your finds or advice below for other readers!

Be sure to check out Housing’s FAQs page for any questions you have!

10 Steps to Financial Success

1. Assess your station in life

   Taking an honest look at your wants and needs can help you prioritize what is most important to you right now. Do you feel good about your current station in life? Are you headed in the right direction?

2. Plan for life changes

   Almost without exception, your needs are going to be different in five years than they are now. Whether you will be graduating, getting married, having children, or switching careers, there will be changes to account for. The best thing you can do is to be prepared for them.

3. Invest in yourself

   The one person you have to live with your entire life is you. Taking care of yourself mentally, financially, and physically on a consistent basis will reap lifelong benefits. In addition, challenge yourself to improve and try new things because a good investment should focus on growth, not staying the same.

4. Write down your goals

   Having goals gives you something to work toward. Writing these goals down makes your plans concrete and more likely to materialize.

5. Keep adequate records

   In addition to keeping track of tax and other documents for an appropriate length of time, you also want to keep records of your spending habits. You might feel like you’re spending too much on something, like eating out, but being able to track your spending will help you find out for sure.

6. Pay yourself first

   Saving money can be simple or nearly impossible. If you take money from your paycheck and immediately deposit it into a savings account, it’s easy (completely effortless if via direct deposit). If you try to scrape together what’s left at the end of a pay period and deposit it to savings, or keep it sitting in your checking account, it’s almost impossible. Be sure your bills are paid, but consider setting aside a certain amount for savings each pay period.

7. Cut expenses

   Even the most frugal among us have places where we can afford to cut costs in some capacity. For the average person, things like reducing bills, food costs, or under-used entertainment and gym memberships can make a significant financial impact in the short term.

8. Spend much less than you earn

   Spending just a little less than you earn is a good way to perpetually live paycheck to paycheck. However, if you can reshape your

9. Pay down your debt

   Debt can be an enormous stressor and it doesn’t get better by itself. Every dollar that you can pay back ahead of time is a dollar that doesn’t collect interest. This can save you a lot of money in the long run.

10. Create a budget and stick to it

    After you’ve gone through the first nine steps, this one is easy. Once you have an honest assessment of where you are and where you’re hoping to go, you can begin creating your budget. Design your budget so that you can pay for your needs, as well as the wants you have prioritized. The key is following through on your budget! Remember that the budget is simply a spending plan of where you want your funds to go. If you fail to follow through, you will hurt yourself, both now and in the future.

Need a part-time job during the school year?

www.purdue.edu/mymoney

Are you worried you won’t have enough money to have fun while you’re on campus this fall? If your parents have finally gotten sick of you asking them for money, you might consider getting a part-time job on campus. I know, I know, being a student is a full-time job, but how else are you supposed to keep up with the latest trends and enjoy a cup of Starbucks every few days? Especially without racking up more debt than you may already have from student loans? Earning a little extra cash during the school year not only helps you financially, but as reported by Student Employment Services at Purdue University, working 8-12 hours per week may actually help in academic performance and student retention.  Probably because working students learn better time management skills.

Now that you’ve decided (or have been bullied into by your parents) to get a part-time job during the school year, START EARLY! This will give you an edge on everyone else searching for part-time jobs near campus.  If you want to work on-campus you have a variety of options, or if you’re willing to go off-campus, you will have even more options! To start your search for on-campus employment I would recommend you start here:

• Start here for specific student employment options. Purdue University’s Student Employment website is a comprehensive job posting website with on and off campus opportunities.  This site is especially helpful if you need to search specifically for a work-study position.

  Are you looking for other employment opportunities on campus?  Check out the different employment websites listed below.

  • Looking for jobs with Rec Sports, the residence halls, dining courts, or PMU
  • Looking for jobs with the Purdue Libraries
  • Looking for jobs with campus academic departments, around campus, or summer work 
  • Looking for Internships? The CCO has them in your MyCCO 

Be sure to follow @Hire_A_Boiler on Twitter for daily tweets about job openings that were posted that day and other job searching tips!

Other options for employment near campus include the bookstores (either Follett’s or University Bookstore.) Also, there are plenty of restaurants and stores around campus that hire students. Just walking down the Chauncey Hill or the Levee opens more options for employment. There are plenty of restaurants there and a few shops that hire students. Make sure you get there early though; they often have to wait and see if their regular employees will be returning in the fall, so it’s good to get your name and face in their brains. There are enough employers hiring at any given time, that if you want a job you should be able to find one!

Can’t find anything there? If you are looking through alternative resources to search for jobs online BE CAREFUL!  Some online job postings sites may not screen their job postings and it could lead to a scam.  You can research the company’s track record and see if any complaints have been made through the Better Business Bureau. A safer option would be visiting a particular company’s website to see if they are hiring, or you could even call or stop by and ask for an application. Both West Lafayette and Lafayette have companies that hire part-time workers, and most of them are often hiring. If your job search isn’t going as well as you would like, don’t give up! Maybe you could work at Starbucks instead of that little coffee shop on Chauncey. If you have a close friend who works somewhere, ask if they can get you an “in” and have them tell their boss how great you are.

Good luck in your search!

Be sure to leave any job openings nearby or job searching tips in the comments!