Valerie, a first-year graduate student in mathematics, needs a part-time job, and competition for jobs in the small town where her university is located is keen. With the following considerations in mind, write an argument supporting one of Valeries two job offers over the other:
Valerie wants the income from her job to minimize the money she must borrow for living expenses. Valerie wants the job to interfere with her graduate program as little as possible.
The universitys Undergraduate Learning Center has offered Valerie a job tutoring groups of students taking introductory mathematics courses. Valerie has been assigned five 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM sessions, for which she will receive $160 per week. The ULC also provides free individual tutoring for students in advanced mathematics courses who request it. As a graduate student employee, Valerie would be eligible to serve as an individual tutor, in addition to her regular sessions, for which she would receive $15 per hour. The schedule of this job will require her to make changes in the courses she had planned to take this semester. She will also miss the afternoon office hours that most professors set aside to work individually with graduate students.
Milanos, a local restaurant has offered Valerie a job as a food server. She will work Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights each week, starting at 5:00 PM. The salary is $130 per week plus tips, which can range anywhere from $80 to $140 for four nights of work. Milanos is often crowded on Friday and Saturday nights but rarely during the week. A server at Milanos told Valerie that although the restaurants kitchen closes at 11:00 PM, servers must stay until all customers have left, which can be midnight or later. Valeries most demanding class meets at 8:00 AM. Wednesdays and Fridays and cannot be rescheduled. Taking this job also means that she must give up the evening meetings of her study group.