The World’s Best Work Study
Emma tells us why she loves working at Carleton's Registrar's Office!
Emma tells us why she loves working at Carleton's Registrar's Office!
One of my favorite parts of Carleton is my work study! Nearly 80% of Carleton students have jobs on campus! When I’m not blogging away, I work at Carleton’s Registrar’s Office. The simplest way to explain what we do is that we maintain all student records. We deal with transcripts, course proposals, transfer credits, overload petitions, and all sorts of other processes. Basically, our office keeps Carleton’s academic programming running. While it isn’t the most exciting work in the world, my time at the Registrar’s Office is one of my favorite parts of my week! Let me show you around the office!
Work Spaces
The first stop is the student work stations. There are two in the office, one near the entrance, and one in the back. My favorite spot to sit is the front desk because I love greeting students and managing the phones, and it’s really easy to catch my coworkers and ask them about their days. Many of our tasks are super tech heavy, hence the dual monitors, but student workers can also typically find time to get some homework done when we’re not working on a big project.
Next up is the scanning shelf. Scanning is my favorite task to do at work– one of the big upsides of this position is I get to read about what other Carleton students are doing, and I love going through Off Campus Studies transcripts and hearing about what Carls get up to abroad. (For more on my experience abroad, check out my blog post!) I also love that this office likes to add little playful touches; check out the sign I made last week!
The People
The office’s collective favorite place to be is the snack shelf. It’s always stocked with little bites for a mid-day pick me up, and one of my tasks is to keep the snacks organized. There’s nothing like some coffee in the morning or some Doritos to keep you going during the day, and my coworkers are always taking full advantage.
My true favorite thing about the office is the people. Having a group of adults to talk to at school has been a true life saver, and the staff always show interest in my life and want to make sure that I’m doing well. I love talking to Maria about her daughter’s college applications, or asking Charlie about his newest academic pursuit, or hearing from Michael about the new Legos he brought into the office, or talking to Austin about the sweater he’s been working on. It’s been a real treat to get to know these people and be integrated into this office community!
Truly, this work study is one of the best things I’ve gotten to do at Carleton, and I’m so thankful for everyone who works there and the support that they give to all Carleton students. So the next time you go to grab an unofficial transcript or need to S/Cr/NC a class, remember that the Registrar’s Office and their loyal student workers are always there to help students in all their academic goals!
Emma (she/her/hers) is a sophomore prospective Art History major/European Studies minor from Attleboro, Massachusetts. When she’s not in class, you can probably find Emma engrossed in a terribly long conversation in Burton Dining Hall, knitting at a Bald Spot picnic table, or perusing the museum studies stacks on third libe. Beyond blogging, she works for the Registrar’s Office, teaches adult tap dance classes downtown, and loves submitting to student publications like babyteeth and No Fidelity. She loves Carleton for the number of opportunities it offers and the close connections she’s formed with professors, not to mention proximity to coffee from Goodbye Blue Monday and early morning walks through the neighborhoods.