Though Main Street is situated right across from the College, it often feels like its own little world, bustling with restaurants like Molly’s and shopping destinations like Still North Books and Bar, J-Crew and Lemon Tree Gifts. To many students, the shops and restaurants of Main Street provide an escape from campus life. For those students who work at businesses in town or throughout the Upper Valley, the local area offers a new working environment.
Many Dartmouth students work off campus, first and foremost, for a paycheck. When choosing where to work, Roan Wade ’25 said while searching for employment during fall 2021, she found that off-campus jobs paid higher wages as compared to those at the College.
Wade has been working off campus consistently since her freshman fall, primarily doing yard work and similar activities posted by Hanover locals on JobX, the student employment database.
Similarly, Kate Clark ’25, who works at Pine, located at the Hanover Inn, said that she also chose to find a job off campus to earn more hours, as “it’s harder to get frequent shifts at [Dartmouth Dining].”
For other students, on-campus jobs may not provide their preferred kind of environment, driving them to seek employment outside of the College. Martyn Moran ’25 said that he didn’t enjoy his on-campus job, so he chose to work at My Brigadeiro, a cafe in Hanover, instead.
“I thought there was some rude management [on-campus], and they kind of changed the regulations around studying and uniforms,” Moran said. “So I kind of got fed up … and decided to work off campus.”
Past work experiences also play a role in students’ decision to work off campus. Jeffrey McAtee ’27, who works at The Nest Kitchen and Café in Hanover, already had five years of experience in the food service industry from his summer jobs in high school.
Additionally, student workers invest varying amounts of time into their jobs. Michelle Ejimofor ’25, who worked for the Treehouse Children’s School in Norwich, said she typically worked four hours per week.
However, other students choose to work more frequently and for longer hours. During her sophomore winter off-term, Clark worked eight-hour shifts five days per week, while simultaneously completing a remote internship as a research analyst.
Despite spending her off term in Hanover, Clark said working long hours gave her less free time and cut into her ability to see friends and participate in Dartmouth activities.
“I [lived] right across the street from my friends … and it was tough seeing everyone doing all these things and just simply not having the time or energy to engage with campus,” Clark said.
Despite the various demands, though, many student workers love their off-campus jobs. According to Ejimofor, the work can provide a “nice break to go out and do something,” adding that her job also provided professional benefits, including recommendation letters.
“The director was really gracious, and she wrote me a recommendation letter for a job,” Ejimofor said. “She’s also writing me a recommendation letter for grad school.”
Similarly, Moran found the environment of My Brigadeiro to be a welcome change of pace from the management that he experienced at Dartmouth. Overall, Moran said he has found his experience working off campus to be a positive one.
“It’s pretty fun meeting new people and getting free stuff sometimes or getting a discount,” Moran said.
Working in town even helps some students manage stress and stay focused academically. McAtee said that working at the Nest made him less likely to procrastinate.
“Sometimes it’s really tough just because of how tired working can make you,” McAtee said. “But the first time I picked up the Nest job my grades went up … working during school makes me less stressed.”
Clark echoed a similar positive sentiment about working in the service industry.
“I’m really glad I did it. It was like stepping outside of Dartmouth while still being on campus,” Clark said. “It was like getting a different perspective of the kids at Dartmouth and how the school functions.”
Working in the Upper Valley is just like any other job. For students, however, an off-campus job involves interacting with locals, high school students and children or simply seeing Dartmouth from a more nuanced perspective. As off-campus student workers can attest, regardless of how many hours or how long you work in the Upper Valley, it will end up being a significant and unique part of your Dartmouth experience.
