<p>I'm majoring in anthropology (in my last year). I'm wondering which of these (in addition to a bunch of volunteer opportunities) I should do this semester:</p>
<p>A) Volunteer at the state archaeological center
B) Tutor 2-3 hrs a week (which isn't volunteer, it's paid)</p>
<p>I know that A) is more beneficial because it's close to my major. What do the parents think? (Note and another question: I still have never been employed. Will this bite me in the butt later on??)</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO!!!!!</p>
<p>Seriously, stop trying to psych it out and follow your heart.</p>
<p>Bluealien, my 2 cents: If you need the money, tutor. If you don't need the money but need experience, volunteer. Yes, I do think you should have taken a job at some point, that shows that you are a worker and provides you with references. I'm not talking about working during the school year, but you should be able to show you were doing something worthwhile during the summers.</p>
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<blockquote> <p>I'm majoring in anthropology (in my last year).>></p> </blockquote>
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<p>This makes it sound like you are currently majoring in anthropology...which I don't think is the case. Re: what to do...do what you are interested in doing. Do not try to second guess what would be "better" on college applications. The reality is that you are interested in majoring in anthropology now but most college students change their majors at least once...and the schools KNOW that. Choose activities that you want to do and can show a positive commitment to doing.</p>
<p>I am currently major in anthropology. I am in college and personally I'm burnt out. I thought summers were for doing what you want to do??</p>
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Seriously, stop trying to psych it out and follow your heart.
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<p>I don't understand what you mean by "stop trying to psych it out".</p>
<p>About work...I tried to tutor before and you have to take a class in order to work for the tutorial center. Anyway, the third week of class rolled around and they could not find anyone for me to tutor. Because there were assignments to be completed in the class related to the tutoring experience, I had to drop the class. Some other people left the class too (during the second week)--I don't know why they did--I just assume that they turned in their info. earlier than me and that the center could not find them anyone to tutor either. You only have to do 2 to 3 hours a week anyway and that pay like $7.00 an hour. When I originally signed up for the class, I was hoping to tutor someone, get through the class, and then continue to work for the center during the summer when the summer sessions started. But obviously that didn't happen because I couldn't take the class.</p>
<p>Bluealien, the best summer job is one that follows along the same path as your major. My daughter, an ed major, is a camp counselor during the summer. She enjoys her job, gets paid and gets brownie points on her resume. By working during the summer you should be exploring jobs that might tell you if your major is the right one for the career you are chosing. By working, you are earning money for the school year, proving that you are not a lazy bum and have a good work ethic. Both of my kids, rising HS senior, college junior, work during the summer as do all of their friends.</p>
<p>I'm not lazy. School is hard work for me because it takes a long time for me to get things done. For my literature class last semester it took me several hours to write a one to two page response to EACH of books we read and EACH of the movies we had to watch. Anyway, that's just an example. By the time I get to summer, I'm too burnt out to do any work. I'm sorry, but that is honestly the way it is. I know others who have never worked either. I know a girl who never worked, just graduated and the only work (if you call it that) she did was the student teaching internship she had to do to get her degree. </p>
<p>Anyway, I'm not sure if the tutoring thing is worth messing with again anyway. My own advisor thought it was a screwed up situation! (Having to take a class to tutor and then having to drop it because they couldn't find a student for me to tutor)</p>
<p>kathie--i don't understand. so you can get a summer job and then just quit it when you go back to school?? i thought employers wanted someone who would be there for a while, not just work during a summer and then quit when august rolls around. i live at home so i'm not sure why I would need money for the school year.</p>
<p>Bluealien:</p>
<p>For students who don't need the money, a summer or term-time job is a great way to get experience, build a resume, make connections, get letters of recommendation from employers. When you graduate and go on the job market your transcript alone won't make you stand out or convince the prospective employers that you are responsible, that you know how to work with others, that you are a self-starter, etc.... All these are the intangible qualities that may be far more important than the name of the college that will be appearing on your diploma.
As for summer jobs, there are paying summer jobs as well as unpaid internships available out there. Students need to look out for them. Perhaps your college's office of career services can help you out here.</p>
<p>It's a little late to ask about since I'm graduating in May.</p>
<p>Bluealien,
Many students your age need money so they feel they are independent of their parents. Many college students pay for all of their books, cell phones, entertainment, clothes, travel, etc, etc. Marite explained the need for a summer job very well as far as an employers perspective. </p>
<p>My daughters college friends that are employed do not live in the area during the school year so their jobs are just for the summer and their employers know that. For instance, one friend of hers is majoring in communication and would perhaps like a job at a tv station when she graduates. She got a paid internship at a local tv station, and while she's only doing menial work, she's learning about what it takes to put together the daily news program and is showing herself to be an organized and dependable person. The internship is just part-time, a couple of days a week, and she also has a part-time clerical job. Between the two, she's earning money and learning about what she likes.</p>
<p>I've always been told grades are more important. So now this is not the case?? Anyway, this thread originally started out with me trying to find out what would be more beneficial this semester--volunteer for the archaeological center or tutor. I'm honestly not sure if I should mess with that tutoring thing again since it didn't work out before. </p>
<p>I know many students feel they need money, but I don't really feel that way. I was just going to tutor for the experience, to have the class instructor as a reference and to continuously practice Spanish (since that is what I was going to assist a student in). The money for it is not great...It would pay for lunch maybe two days a week...LOL. I get enough money from my relatives anyway. I don't even use the cell phone I have. It is worth $54.00 dollars and the company wants me to purchase $20.00 more dollars worth of minutes by August 16th. Maybe me and the people I know are just weird or something.</p>
<p>bluealien,
Would your relatives like to become adoptive grandparents or whatever for my son?? He works summers because we really need that money to help pay for college. He would love to have summers free to pursue music, but that's life...</p>
<p>As for your choice, it sounds like you don't really want to tutor, and the situation is not the greatest anyway, so why not just go for the volunteer work? It's more in your field and could make you some good contacts, as well as providing relevant experience.</p>
<p>Thanks for the clarification Bluealien. Now that I know that you are completing your college degree, I will give you an answer that makes more sense. In my opinion, you should be doing something related to your field of study IF you intend to do that as a career. You have the opportunity to do an internship in anthro...is it possible that this will give you some connections for either a job or grad school? It seems like these internships can be the stepping stone to a career move for many college students. If it were me, I would do the internship. Re: psyching it out...maybe SBmom and I were on the same wavelength...thinking you were trying to pad a resume for college adcoms. BUT knowing that you will be graduating in the field of anthropology, I think you should be getting some practical experience at a place that has a relation to that major.</p>
<p>There must be several bluealiens running around because the one I've talked to before was clearly not a college student. (Cue Twilight zone music.) What's up?</p>
<p>Hi. Thanks for the responses. I know (well sort of know) one of the people that works at the center. I met him in May when I went to a workshop for forensic anthro/botany/entomology.</p>
<p>SB, originally I did want to tutor--I had been looking at the website since I have been at the uni, but you have to complete the course you want to tutor in first (with an A), so I had to wait until I did that. I even told the instructor of the class that I would try to take her class again so I could tutor, but I'm thinking it's not worth it if I have to go through what I did before (with them not being able to find anyone and having to drop the course. ) I also wanted to tutor in some Literature courses I made A's in, but they no longer have the option of tutoring in literature (to my knowledge--they didn't at the time I was signed up for the tutoring course before). Most of their tutoring is in math or science (ick!!).</p>
<p>Thumper, it's not an internship. It's just a volunteer thing that anyone with the time can do. Someone under 18 can do it too (with parents permission), or someone 60+ could do it.</p>
<p>Curmudgeon--who?? The alienblue2005?</p>
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<blockquote> <p>it's not an internship>></p> </blockquote>
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<p>It's still related to your intended career. My suggestion remains the same. Do the anthro related thing. Tutor some other time...unless you need the money.</p>