If you are anything like me, you hate the feeling of being cooped up in the same place all day. I often like going to coffee shops in the local area and doing my studying and homework there to give myself a change of scenery. There is just one problem with this desire: Coffee costs money that I do not have.
You might encounter similar struggles as a student. You may want to go out to get food with friends, go thrifting, attend concerts and events, or (like me) feed your caffeine addiction. To bankroll these pursuits, you, like me, might need a job on campus, and some of the best jobs on campus have been in the food industry.
Since we as Cedarville University students have a plethora of dining options, we also have a multitude of opportunities for places to work and earn money for life’s random adventures. Some of the most common — and in my opinion, easiest — places to work on campus are through Pioneer Food Services at locations like the Dining Hall, Tossed, Chick-fil-A, Panda Express, and the Café.
The Dining Hall
The dining hall is the go-to place for one-on-ones and bro-sis meals. The dining hall has the most variety of food choices for each meal, as they have a special station called Home Cooking that changes the meal being served at each mealtime. The other stations in Chucks, like the Pizza Bar, Habanero, Subs Your Way, and the All-Day Breakfast Bar tend to have the same food at all mealtimes. The dining hall has meals for each typical meal of the day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) so there are shifts during those three meals as well as in between mealtimes doing cleaning tasks. Some of the jobs in the dining hall include serving food, cleaning up the table areas, and working in the dish pit.
The dining hall is probably the most common place for students to eat, especially since they serve meals at all three mealtimes, so working there provides opportunities to interact with fellow students that you may not cross paths with otherwise. I would recommend working in the dining hall to anyone who is interested since this job is very flexible no matter what your schedule looks like.
Tossed
Tossed, located in the building that is connected to the library along with Chick-fil-A, serves wraps, salads, pizza, and soups. The average exchange meal is an entrée (salad, wrap, or pizza), a side (soup or chips), and a drink. The positions at Tossed include working at the register, in the kitchen doing prep work and making pizzas, or on the line preparing students’ wraps and salads.
Working at Tossed also has a lot of interaction with students if you choose to work out front. One of my favorite parts of eating at Tossed is when the person cutting my wrap asks a question of the day. Working at Tossed provides a special opportunity to love your fellow students through service and kindness and gives you some serious wrap and salad prep skills!
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A has many different options for exchange meals. They have fried and grilled nuggets, fried and grilled sandwiches, waffle fries, fresh fruit, waffle potato chips, and drinks. The positions to work at for Chick-fil-A are broken up into front-of-house and back-of-house roles. The front-of-house workers take and bag orders and prepare any special drinks/milkshakes that are ordered. The back-of-house workers prepare all the food.
Working at Chick-fil-A gives you the chance to interact with your coworkers and fellow students in a fast-paced, energetic environment. The work culture here is really positive and encourages you to go the extra mile in serving the campus community joyfully. I would suggest that students who have larger blocks of free time work at Chick-fil-A as the shift times are in a couple-hour increments.
Panda Express
Panda Express, which is on the lower floor of the Stevens Student Center (SSC), serves exchange meals that include two options. You can either get a bowl, which includes a side and an entrée, or a plate, which includes a side and two entrees. Some of the employment opportunities that Panda Express offers are as a cashier, line attendant, cook, or dining room attendant.
Panda Express is in the SSC right at the center of campus, so anyone who works there wouldn’t have far to go to get to work. Like the other dining options, working at Panda Express provides opportunities to interact with fellow students. Panda Express shifts are at least two hours long, so make sure you have that much time free in your schedule if you want to work there.
The Café
The Café, which is new to campus this school year and located in the newest building on campus, The Scharnberg Business and Communication Center, is an on-the-go food option for students who have short increments of time to eat during the day and in the evening. The average exchange meal looks like an entrée, two sides, and a drink. Some positions to work at The Café are as a cashier, a meal builder, a line attendant, or a dishwasher.
An upside to working at The Café is that The Café is closed on Saturdays, so if you worked there, you would not need to worry about arranging your schedule to include working on Saturdays. I would recommend students have at least two hours to work, as The Café also requires shifts to last at least two hours. Another advantage is also the interaction with students and being able to be close to the Dixon Ministry Center (DMC) and the Stevens Student Center (SSC).
If you want to apply to any of the establishments mentioned above, you can go to the Pioneer Food Service website to find the applications to apply. You could also stop by any of the restaurants and ask for assistance in applying, as they would be thrilled to assist you. To see the hours of operation for each dining option on campus, you can visit the Cedarville University website, which has the hours and menu for the dining hall listed.
Major and Year of Graduation: Middle Childhood Education, class of 2027.
Favorite Study Spot: The tables in the Lower SSC by the Counseling Offices.
Favorite Music Artist: Josiah Queen.
Favorite Quote: “Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault
What do You Like to do in Your Free Time? In my free time I like to crochet and to read. I also love to play pickleball with my friends on campus!
Favorite Bible Verse: Matthew 6:34
Tags: #advice, #campus, #cedarville, #dining, #dininghall, #helpful, #opportunities, #studentlife
Posted in: College Life, Information, Student Guide, Uncategorized