Student assistants might hold a job assisting other students in a computer lab, helping librarians with administrative tasks, photocopying and filing for an academic department, doing groundskeeping around campus or working with campus police to issue parking tickets.
Many student assistant jobs are specifically for students in a financial aid program, commonly called work-study.
Student assistants must take these jobs as seriously as they would any position off campus. The experience can be a good addition to a future resume.
Students must be enrolled for a certain number of credit hours to be eligible for a student assistant position. The work is part-time, and pay is usually low, around minimum wage or a bit higher. Some schools have positions classified in levels for more complex duties and higher pay.
A job description will specify if the student can study while working, sometimes allowed in positions such as manning the helm at a front desk.
Student assistant jobs usually last for one term, but depending on budget considerations, the department may be allowed to renew the position, and the same student may be able to keep a specific job longer.