No one would ever walk up to a friend on financial aid and accuse her parents of being lazy, good-for-nothing, bad parents for not making enough money to send her to college. Yet people feel completely comfortable going up to a friend with an unpaid internship and accusing her of being a spoiled brat because she’s fortunate enough to be able to afford spending a summer making no money.

Don’t think that’s true? Just read the comments on almost any internship post on this site (like this one or this one).

I had two unpaid internships in NYC and I can’t even count the number of times people told me “it’s ridiculous that your parents are just letting you live in the city and make no money.” But was it ridiculous? In today’s world you’re expected to graduate with internship experience and if my parents decided to spend their hard-earned money paying for me to live in NYC and reach my dreams, was it wrong for me to take that opportunity? Should I have spent my summer waitressing instead? I don’t want to come off like a whiny bitch, but I want some answers on why I should feel bad that my family can afford this. Isn’t complaining about unpaid internships the same as complaining to a friend when her family goes on a week long resort vacation?

Everyone can choose how they want to spend their money and my parents chose to forgo fancy family vacations and buying me designer clothes so that I could get the most out of my college education. I appreciated how fortunate I was every day and I did work menial jobs part-time during my summer internships to make money for the school year, but that never stopped people from making accusations.

While I completely agree with the fact that the unpaid internship system is completely unfair because it gives well-off kids yet another career advantage that their other classmates can’t afford, I also think it’s unfair to expect people to not take these internships. And I don’t think it’s fair to make people feel guilty because they happen to be fortunate (assuming they’re not arrogant and entitled and making Facebook statuses that say “living off my parents”).

After graduation my internships paid off and I landed an awesome job as a blog editor. Yet people still assume it’s okay to come up to me and say things like “Blog editor? Guess your parents are still supporting you.” Not only do I constantly have to remind people that a blog editor is a legitimate, fully-salaried position in 2010, but that it’s no one’s business who was paying my rent. No one ever  goes up to my friends in grad school and says “Med school for 9 years? Guess your parents are still paying your rent.” Why do people think it’s okay for parents to spend tens of thousands of dollars on law school, but not spend a few thousand to let me spend two summers interning to reach my career goals?

In the end isn’t all about parents doing whatever they can to help their children be successful and happy?

Likey? Don’t worry, there are plenty more faves where this came from.

I don't know what to do!

Looking back, college didn’t require a lot of serious decision making – even though I thought it did. For the most part, I made decisions about frivolous things such as: Should I wear pajamas to class today? Should I stick to rum and Coke or go for the Jager bombs? Should I go out tonight or should I spend time working on that eleven-page term paper? I know at times these choices sure stressed me out, but looking back, they really didn’t matter the way post-grad decisions seem to.

A lot of difficult decisions have come my way recently. There was me deciding where to live. Atlanta, Georgia or Southern California? It was not an easy choice to make, and many factors played into my choice to move to California. Then there was the decision of what to spend my time doing. Should I reapply to graduate schools for next year or pursue my other dream of becoming a lawyer? These questions required a lot of long-term thinking, and I’m glad that I had the time and the options to choose from. However, now that life is moving full speed ahead – more life-decisions are coming my way and many of them are giving me a day to decide, instead of a month or two.

So, you know how I was running my mouth last week about no jobs being available and how awful it is trying to find something? Well, that very same day, I received a call back from a marketing firm wanting to hire me for an entry level position. A real adult job. One with benefits and a respectable first year salary. One that requires business professional attire from 8:30am to 5:30pm. A marketing firm with connections to major Fortune 500 companies.

Sounds great, right? Well, they could only take me on as a full-time worker Monday-Friday, with a lot of events that I would be required to attend on the weekends. My initial reaction was whether or not I could balance my LSAT prep course and study time in the midst of having a blossoming career path. Could I do both? Maybe, but I’m not someone that does things half-assed, so a balancing act possibly could jeopardize my work experience and hurt my practice for the LSAT.

So, I had to make a tough decision – which is more important to me right now? A job that could have me making some serious coinage with benefits, while offering me an interesting perspective, or sticking to my long-term plan of becoming a lawyer? A lot of people I talked to told me to basically take the money and run with the full-time job and that I could always go back to law school a few years from now. Although I want to have lots of money one day and be successful, I didn’t feel like making a decision based upon money was the right way to figure this debacle out.

In the end, I decided to stick to my plan to attend law school next year. Although I think taking something so spur of the moment like that job offer could have been good, I feel more secure with my plan of prepping for the LSAT, taking the exam in October, and applying to law schools during the fall. My decision to reach for law school (and in the meantime apply for part-time jobs and internships) definitely makes me feel secure with my ambitions to work in the profession of law one day. I could have easily sold myself out and said “You know, the LSAT and the application process to law school sucks – this could be an easier way out,” but instead, I decided to challenge myself and look to the future.

Even though I have not been able to find a part-time job anywhere (since when do waitresses need three years experience to serve?), I have to admit – the call backs I have received (all from full-time positions, of course) and the interest from a major marketing company makes me feel pretty good about my resume and career prospects in the future. And luckily, I’m starting to hear back from some internship programs that will overlook me not being able to get class credit!

So, here’s looking to the future and holding out for what I truly want!
…Let’s just hope it all works out.

No one would ever walk up to a friend on financial aid and accuse her parents of being lazy, good-for-nothing, bad parents for not making enough money to send her to college. Yet people feel completely comfortable going up to a friend with an unpaid internship and accusing her of being a spoiled brat because she’s fortunate enough to be able to afford spending a summer making no money.

Don’t think that’s true? Just read the comments on almost any internship post on this site (like this one or this one).

I had two unpaid internships in NYC and I can’t even count the number of times people told me “it’s ridiculous that your parents are just letting you live in the city and make no money.” But was it ridiculous? In today’s world you’re expected to graduate with internship experience and if my parents decided to spend their hard-earned money paying for me to live in NYC and reach my dreams, was it wrong for me to take that opportunity? Should I have spent my summer waitressing instead? I don’t want to come off like a whiny bitch, but I want some answers on why I should feel bad that my family can afford this. Isn’t complaining about unpaid internships the same as complaining to a friend when her family goes on a week long resort vacation?

Everyone can choose how they want to spend their money and my parents chose to forgo fancy family vacations and buying me designer clothes so that I could get the most out of my college education. I appreciated how fortunate I was every day and I did work menial jobs part-time during my summer internships to make money for the school year, but that never stopped people from making accusations.

While I completely agree with the fact that the unpaid internship system is completely unfair because it gives well-off kids yet another career advantage that their other classmates can’t afford, I also think it’s unfair to expect people to not take these internships. And I don’t think it’s fair to make people feel guilty because they happen to be fortunate (assuming they’re not arrogant and entitled and making Facebook statuses that say “living off my parents”).

After graduation my internships paid off and I landed an awesome job as a blog editor. Yet people still assume it’s okay to come up to me and say things like “Blog editor? Guess your parents are still supporting you.” Not only do I constantly have to remind people that a blog editor is a legitimate, fully-salaried position in 2010, but that it’s no one’s business who was paying my rent. No one ever  goes up to my friends in grad school and says “Med school for 9 years? Guess your parents are still paying your rent.” Why do people think it’s okay for parents to spend tens of thousands of dollars on law school, but not spend a few thousand to let me spend two summers interning to reach my career goals?

In the end isn’t all about parents doing whatever they can to help their children be successful and happy?

College. Sigh. It’s unlike any other time in your life. It has its own set of rules, its own unique circumstances. And it’s not always easy to navigate. Everyone needs a little guidance now and then (or always) so we’ve pulled together a variety of perspectives (the does-it-all girl, the party girl and Ms. Study Lounge) to weigh in on your life conundrums and give you the best advice we can.

Every week they’ll be tackling your questions about college. From classes to keggers to keggers before classes, they’ll do their best to respond and be your Pez dispenser of collegiate wisdom. Got questions? Unsure of a decision? Need to branch out? Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics?

Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”!

Question:
So, I don’t know if you’ll know the answer to this but I’m trying to figure out my plans for the rest of the semester and I’m not sure which will look better on my resume: getting really involved in a student organization or getting a job. I have no idea what I really want to do in my future yet, so it’s not like either of them would apply much to what I end up doing, so I don’t know if it’s more important to get involved in one or the other. Any thoughts?

GPA Girl:
It seems as if either one could be a good option, but I’d lean toward “job,” and here’s why. When you finally do get around to figuring out what you want to do and applying for full-time jobs after college, your prospective employers will look to your previous work experience and references to judge how you’re going to act in their companies. They might look at extracurriculars as well–in fact, I’m sure they probably will–but I personally don’t think they hold quite the same weight. Even if you become a leader in an extracurricular activity, there’s not really anybody there monitoring your progress, paying attention to when you show up, and evaluating the work you do according to rigorous standards. In short, nobody’s paying you to do it and there’s no one there who can prove how good you did it. A job will provide you with verifiable references and experience that you will be able to use in the future, no matter what career path you choose.

Also, I’m sure our resident Busy Bee will suggest this, but why not get involved with both activities? You may not be able to devote quite as much time as you like to the student org, but it could be really enriching and rewarding for you to do both things and enjoy both experiences. (Plus, it will prove your ability to multi-task and handle multiple responsibilities, which looks pretty great on a resume.)

Party Girl:
Having held down a full-time job with 18 credit hours for five semesters, I can tell you that the job will look way better on your resume, regardless of what you’re studying. Employers love the fact that you can handle so much responsibility at such a relatively young age. It shows that you’re ready to enter the work force as a competent and fully capable adult. And, focusing more on the now, having a job means making serious money. Having serious money means financial freedom from your parents. No longer will you have to beg for money for that new dress that you’ve been craving or that fifth of tequila which is absolutely necessary to celebrate…well, anything. Plus, if you’re working anywhere near campus, chances are you’ll be among fellow students, and who couldn’t use a couple more friends? Trust me, once you get your first paycheck, you won’t regret this decision.

Busy Bee:
Oooh, this is a toughie. It depends on which student organization and which job you want to get. Just keep in mind that even though you don’t know what you want to do with your future just yet, you still need to be involved with something that has meaning to you.

Work wise, don’t just grab a job a Burger King if you have no interest in food or the restaurant business. If you decide to get a job and you want it to look good on that resume, it needs to have some relevancy to your interests, hobbies, and passions. Let’s say you love animals – then try getting a job at a pet store or a local vet’s office. This will show future employers that you have strong passions and good focus. It will sound better to say, “I got a job at this pet store because I own 2 dogs and 3 fish and I love knowing that I can help others with my knowledge on animal care taking!” than to say, “I work at this fast food restaurant because I want money and I don’t know what else to do…” This goes for student orgs, too; don’t join something just because your friends are in it. Make sure to have some sort of justification for your membership to the club! Since you’re not getting paid for your time you have to spend it wisely, i.e. in the way that will most benefit you down the line.

When making your decision ask yourself this: Do you think that you will benefit more from joining this club and volunteering your time, or from working mandatory part-time hours getting paid? Whichever you choose, just know that you NEED to make the most of your experience. People don’t necessarily care about where or what it is that you have done, but rather, how you went about it and how you allowed yourself to benefit from it. Explore all possible options!

Can you make this a reality for me? Kthanksbye.

College. Sigh. It’s unlike any other time in your life. It has its own set of rules, its own unique circumstances. And it’s not always easy to navigate. Everyone needs a little guidance now and then (or always) so we’ve pulled together a variety of perspectives (the does-it-all girl, the party girl and Ms. Study Lounge) to weigh in on your life conundrums and give you the best advice we can.

Every week they’ll be tackling your questions about college. From classes to keggers to keggers before classes, they’ll do their best to respond and be your Pez dispenser of collegiate wisdom. Got questions? Unsure of a decision? Not sure about that LDR? Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics?

Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”!

Question:
One of my resolutions for this year was to save money, but it seems almost impossible to do in college. Do you have any ideas where to start or what I can do to save a few bucks? I need money badly because I’m interning (with no pay!) in NYC this summer, but as much as I try I just can’t save anything. Help?

GPA Girl:
This sucks! I think all internships should offer pay, or at least complimentary lodging and meals, but hopefully your internship will give you the experience to earn the big bucks later! My advice for saving and earning right now is to look at your talents and skills and see if you can transform them into opportunities. Do you know how to play guitar? Put up flyers offering lessons to kids. Know another language? Tutor for an hourly rate. Got web design or Flash skills? Put them to work online by advertising on freelance sites and landing paid gigs. Then set up a savings account with the highest interest rate you can find. Once you have the cashola from your “side” gigs, stash it in that account and DO NOT look back. Pretend that account doesn’t exist. Put at least half of what you make from your side jobs in there every time you get paid and don’t let yourself withdraw anything. You may have to go without a few lattes and new outfits from time to time, but as you see that money add up, you’ll realize it’s worth it!

Party Girl:
I was in the same exact position as you just one year ago. I might have even had it worse, since I have a terrible shopping addiction. Seriously, whenever there is money in my pocket (or debit account), it’s spent within a day. However, I did figure out some ways to motivate myself to save and you can too. First of all, cut out all clothes shopping.  You’ll find better stuff in NYC anyway! Secondly, no more coffee splurges for you. Switch to hot tea and you’ll still get caffeine for a third of the price (or you can just cut out the Starbucks runs entirely!). Thirdly, you should be buying only store brand food and drink items. They taste just the same anyway (at least, that’s what I tell myself when I’m forced to chug Popov instead of Absolut).

I want to assure you, though, that bar nights do not have to stop. You’ll have to limit yourself to four drinks per outting and those drinks have to be the ones on special OR you can use your flirting skills to score some free drinks from bar hotties. Never underestimate the power of flirting – I pretty much floated the entire summer on free drinks and meals by going on as many dates as possible. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do! With all that, you should be in the clear to fully enjoy yourself in the Big Apple. Have fun!!!

Busy Bee:
First of all, yay you for getting an internship! Aside from your current money problems, that’s always a good way to get your foot in the door for a soon-to-be good paying career. Nevertheless, I completely understand. I’ve had several internships and a good number of those have been with no pay. When I try to save money, I simply just save. I don’t buy anything for a good amount of time, and when I do buy something, I make sure it’s out of absolute necessity and that it’s the cheapest possible option out there. For example, if I need food, I make sure that I buy ingredients to last me several different meals (leftovers get boring), and that the brands I purchase are the knock-off store brand (they taste the same). Also, try walking to places when you can instead of driving or taking the bus, but if necessary, carpool with some friends! I would also recommend getting a part-time job, but if that’s not possible because of your hectic schedule, then continue to be as money savvy as possible. Hey, if that means picking up lost pennies on the ground, then go for it. You know, if you pick up enough lost change, you might just be able to afford something off of Mickey D’s dollar menu!

College. Sigh. It’s unlike any other time in your life. It has its own set of rules, its own unique circumstances. And it’s not always easy to navigate. Enter…me!

Every week I’ll be tackling your questions about college. From classes to keggers, I’ll do my best to respond and be your Pez dispenser of collegiate wisdom. Got questions? Hit me up in the comments or shoot me an email at melanie@collegecandy.com

I’m broke. Wah! What can I do?
Get. A. Job. Seriously, there’s no excuse for not working while you’re in classes. In fact, it looks great on a resume and will give you some extra cash in your pocket on the weekends. You don’t need a high power internship (although those are pretty nice), but do something to earn money. Babysitting is a great option if you want cold hard cash with none of those silly taxes. If you’re a shopaholic, work at your favorite clothing store to snag the discount. I did the J.Crew thing for a semester and got a fantastic discount and although most of my paycheck went to clothes it still alleviated some of my financial woes. Even if you just pick up five hours a week at a coffee house, it’s better than nothing. Make it rain!

My roomie snores. What should I do?
Buy earplugs. Or leave her a hint by picking some of those breathe-easy nose strips and putting them on her pillow.

I want to throw a rager, any tips for success?
If you’re going the theme party route, do something original. One of my favorite parties that me and my bestie/roomie of the moment threw was a Hollywood themed party. People came dressed as their favorite celebs and had a blast. Believe me, there’s nothing funnier than watching Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, Mary Kate Olsen, Kurt Cobain and Heath Ledger all duking it out at the flip cup table. Hide your valuables, buy lots of Solo cups and cheap beer. The rest will be history, captured on Facebook.

Where are the drunk people?
Is this a serious question? If you’re on a campus and it’s past 9 PM on a Friday? Everywhere. Including right here. Right now. Yeah, I like to start early.

Who are the “campus characters” to avoid?
The Over Enthused College Sports Fanatic. The self-absorbed prof who signs their emails “Doctor So-and-So” (even though their doctorate is in something that has nothing to do with the medical profession) and requires that you buy the book they’ve authored as a text book. Johnny Fratboy who’s just soooo cute and just totally won’t return your phone calls after you drunkenly hook up. Just don’t bother. There are lots of campus characters to avoid, from the druggies to the fake bitches; just be smart and stick with the people you trust.

I’m writing this letter with sadness in my heart and hot fudge in my hair. I’ve spent the last two months scooping your ice cream and ringing up orders and now its time for me to go home. But even though I must leave, I wanted to spend a few final moments reflecting on our time together.

Like remember all those times when you came in with your Blackberry in one hand, your Bugaboo stroller in the other, and you didn’t even look up from your phone to place your order? I always respected you for your determination to complete your conversation, even if it sometimes meant you couldn’t make eye contact with me.

Or haha, I’m cracking up about that time I gave you two cents in change and you held your hand out waiting for it so you could put it back in your Prada wallet, which you shoved into your Fendi bag instead of the tip jar. That was a great time.

Oh wait, an even better memory is the time you got your toddler an ice cream cone and the precocious little thing dumped it all on the floor and, instead of offering to help pick it up, you demanded a a new ice cream at no extra charge. And even though there was a line in front of you, I admired you for teaching your child resilience by cutting the entire line so your baby could have their second ice cream immediately.

I know this letter is supposed to be full of good times and laughs but I really need to take this moment to apologize for asking you to repeat your order twice. It was completely my fault that after working an eight-hour shift; I couldn’t remember exactly which yogurt you wanted in which size after you rattled them off to me. So I totally appreciate that after I asked you to repeat the order, you spoke incredibly slowly as if I had the IQ of a sugar cone.

But back to the good times. Like remember that one time you had a last-minute impromptu birthday party in the store and you totally forget to tell anyone that worked there? That was a great surprise and it was even more fun when you spent the entire time complaining because we couldn’t give you personal attention. Our ice-cream-scooper-party-

planner-waitress-nanny was out that day and I have to thank for your understanding.

And it was totally reasonable that you didn’t leave any kind of tip. The eye contact we made when I was on my hands and knees wiping slices of melting ice cream cake off the floor was tip enough.

I really hope your son had a wonderful birthday because the celebration continued long after you left. We got to get the broom, the mop, and every other cleaning product out in order to clean up after your party. I wish more parents had your appreciation of suspense and gratitude. I knew that when you said, “your store is completely disorganized and unable to put on a party,” you really meant thank you.

Even though I’m having a wonderful time writing this letter, I really must get back to my internship. Internship? you might say. Yes, the days when I wasn’t scooping ice cream and pouring skim milk into your coffee, I was interning. I know, its crazy to think that underneath that ice-cream stained shirt, was a college student who was just working in the store for a little extra money.

You are probably wondering how I could be a college student and still have messed up your change that one time. But don’t feel bad. After all, once I put on that highly attractive ice cream uniform I only existed to listen to you complain about your frozen yogurt melting too fast. Ice cream melting when its hot out. It’s completely my fault and I take full responsibility. I only hope that one day, twenty years from now, when those precious little babies you brought into the store are working their summer jobs, wherever that might be, someone treats them with the same respect you gave me.

P.S. I might have underestimated the calories in the frozen yogurt. Whoops.

As you push your cart up and down the aisles of Wal-Mart and Target stocking up on the necessities, your bank account is slowly draining (unless your parents plan on footing the entire bill-in which case you can stop reading now).

The money you’ve saved up at your menial summer job may be non-existent by the time you hit the mall to pick up some new kicks and a few back to school outfits.

So what happens when you land on campus broke as a joke in need of food and fun? You begin the job hunt.

As a seasoned veteran of the work study program, I would not recommend this line of work. My freshman year was spent slaving away between classes in an office with no windows. Fetching sandwiches for a hostile man whose job it was to make photocopies for 7 dollars an hour wasn’t my idea of a worthwhile part-time job.

When I ventured out to find legitimate employment during my sophomore year, I applied to every store, restaurant, and office within a 20 block radius of my school.

To be blunt, I went crazy, spreading my resume like wildfire to anyone who would take it. You would think my phone would have been ringing off the hook.

Well, think again. Turns out thousands of kids from my school and surrounding colleges were applying for those very same jobs. I didn’t receive so much as one call back for at least a month.

Eventually, I got a call from a restaurant less than a block away from my school. I wound up with a well-paying convenient part-time job. More importantly, I walked away from the situation with a better understanding on how to land a job in a competitive environment. I pass these tips on to you, our loyal readers:

1. ALWAYS have a copy of your resume with you- Nine times out of ten a manager will request a copy of your resume when you apply for a job. Don’t let them down. You’ll look silly and unprepared, qualities that are not highly valued by management.

2. Dress the part- Even if you’re applying to the crappiest hot dog stand, show up in a respectable outfit and you’re a hundred percent more likely to land the gig. Never, under ANY circumstances, wear jeans. Many establishments will politely take your resume and shred it to pieces the second you’re out the door if you look unprofessional.

3. Be Confident- Look the interviewer in the eye when you speak. Don’t be afraid to talk about your achievements and useful qualities. Remember, many others will be applying for this very same job. You need to sell yourself and convince the company that you are the best person for the job.

4. Be Available- Most part-time jobs will need you on nights and weekends. Obviously, it sucks working on Friday and Saturday night. However, most restaurants (or stores!) won’t hire you if you aren’t willing to make this sacrifice. If you’re desperate to salvage your weekends, request every other weekend off, or ask to only work on one weekend day.

5. Network- Sometimes the easiest way to get a job is through a friend. Ask around- someone you know is bound to be employed at a place that is looking for help. With their recommendation, you may have a simple “in” at the company.

A part time job can (surprisingly) be a key part of your college experience. As you’re required to spend time with your co-workers, a job offers you the opportunity to make new friends. You will always have extra spending money to buy that new shirt you REALLY want or to go out on the nights you’re available. It’s not all fun and games- but it beats sitting home because you’re penniless or grubbing money from your aggravated friends.