Student job

‘Unwritten’ rules

You may have already heard beautiful stories from other students about student life, chances are that you regularly though: ‘what?!’ There are a lot of things in student life that are very different from being at high school. There are unwritten rules, things you cannot read anywhere and that is simply how it should be. We make an exception in this article: we write down a few important points, so you will not face any surprises during your first steps as a student.

Choice of words

As a student, you are in between two phases. You are no longer a child, but you are not exactly an adult yet. Nevertheless, no matter how picky this might sound, it is important that certain words are changed. You no longer go to school, but to university; not to a lesson, but to a lecture. You don’t do your homework, but you study and you don’t make tests, but exams. You will get used to this soon, but if you use the wrong word, you may expect surprised looks.

Pub behaviour

In the past you used to go ‘out’, when you are a student you will go ‘to the pub’ or ‘just go for a drink’. Not only does this sound different, but slightly different behaviour is expected as well. In the past you used to go dancing a lot and maybe even some ‘grinding’ now and then. You will not see this a lot during your student days. If you are flirting with someone and you eventually decide to take action, it will be appreciated if you find a somewhat quieter place for this than in the middle of the pub.

Hierarchy

There is a certain hierarchy within student life. This sounds scary but it most certainly is not. In some student houses, you have a hierarchy in order of who moved in last. The person who has been living there the longest is the Nestor/Nestrix, the person who has been living there the shorted, is the youngest in the home. There may also be a certain hierarchy within associations. All in all, you can be sure that you will regularly be called ‘sjaars’ (abbreviation for first-year student), as for the rest, this hierarchy is not too bad in practice.

Finally, it is recommended to just let things happen. Studying is great! You might recognize some of the things mentioned above, or maybe not. During the first few weeks, everything will surprise you, but that is actually a lot of fun. Hopefully you are a bit better prepared with the above information, have fun!

Student jobs

Student life is great, but must of course be funded in some way. In addition to the option of borrowing from DUO and maybe a little help from parents, you may also want to earn some extra money. Many students therefore decide to work next to their study programme; which in many cases can be easily combined. Below you will find a list of some student jobs to give you an impression of the opportunities for students. The hourly wages are of course a nice bonus, but the main thing is that you find a student job where you enjoy working and hopefully also learn a lot from.

If you are interested in a job within the University of Twente, it is useful to actively inform whether places become available at certain positions. Vacancies are often filled quickly and are often promoted via other people. Each student job briefly states how you can get more information. Most vacancies go through the employment agency of the university: UT-FLEX. You can register for this via www.utwente.nl/hr/ut-flex.

Student assistant

Net hourly wage: €10 - €15 per hour As a student assistant you will help the teacher with a certain subject or a certain module. This often concerns a subject/module where you have shown that you have enough skills and interest to support fellow students. Assistance may also be required at work lectures, practicals, projects, or even marking. This is a fun and also educational job, which can also be of help later on. In general you must be at least a second-year student and have successfully completed the subject. Ask the teacher whether he/she requires any support.

Assistant Open Days / Degree Information Officer

Net hourly wage: €9 - €15 per hour As assistant at the Open Days, you represent the university. You may be deployed for information provision, guided tours or study programme information. You will learn how you can best show or explain your study programme and the rest of the university to potential fellow students. It is important that you have a friendly and open appearance, so that people like to approach you with questions. Ask your study programme about the information team or register via UT-FLEX.

Caretaker / Service desk assistant

Net hourly wage: €10 - €15 per hour As a caretaker you are the central point of contact in a building of the university. In addition to issuing keys and reservations, you are also responsible for order and safety in the building. Helping others is a core task within this position. However, when things are quiet, you can relax behind the service desk with a study book or video. In other words: the perfect student job. Pay attention to whether a vacancy becomes available in UT-FLEX or check with the service desks.