According to the ISU Office of Financial Aid Web site, during the 2006-2007 academic year the cost of attending Iowa State ranged from $16,470 to $26,960. It’s no wonder some students use the summer months to pay for their education.

But in the process of making this money, students are sometimes forced to work more than one job to maximize their profit. They take on multiple roles such as office assistant by day and bartender by night. Although these are typical summer jobs for college students, FYI wanted to find some peculiar ways to make money for students who like to go against the norm.

Fire hydrant painter

The city of Ames hires workers each summer to paint the more than 2,400 fire hydrants throughout the city.

Dale Weber, Public Works Operations Supervisor, said, “It usually takes two people almost two summers to finish all of the painting.”

Weber realizes this job can be rather mundane and boring, so they hire two people to work together on this task. But if you’re the kind of person who can not sit inside during the summer, this job may appeal to you.

When the weather doesn’t allow for painting, they find other odd jobs to do.

Door-to-door salesman

Several students from all over the country take part in Southwestern Company’s internship program. Southwestern’s students walk door-to-door selling educational books to households with preschool to college-aged members.

Brandon Cooper, senior in industrial engineering, worked for Southwestern in Flint, Mich. for a summer.

“I talked to about 5,000 people that summer and met about every type of person on the face of the earth,” Cooper said.

According to the Southwestern Company’s Web site, in 2005 the average income for a first-year student was $101 per day.

Food storage worker

A great way to escape the heat of the summer sun is to spend your days in a cooler. Although the food storage worker does many other tasks during the day, one of their duties involves working in the freezer filling orders for campus dining centers. Jeffrey Swanson, junior in hotel, restaurant and institutional management, works in the store room.

“You fill orders for about 15 minutes, then take a break for a few minutes so you don’t freeze,” he said. After the orders are filled, the workers deliver them to their prospective dining facilities.

PhoneCenter fundraiser for ISU Foundation

Long name, but easy job. As a student fundraiser you are responsible for calling ISU alumni to raise money for different programs around campus.

Nikita Miles, freshman in pre-business, has worked for the PhoneCenter since August 2006 and will continue working there into the summer months.

“It is a really easy job and your coworkers are really fun,” Miles said. “It’s a really laid back place to work.” If your idea of a summer job doesn’t involve sweating out in the sun, the PhoneCenter may be just for you.

Beer cart attendant

If you can carry on a conversation, work with money and drive a golf cart, your ideal summer job may be a beer cart attendant.

This is a typically stress-free job. Duties include stocking the cart with food and beverages and attending to the golfers out on the course.

Pay per hour may not be very intriguing, but after adding in tips, it definitely pays the bills. Although no experience is required, a general knowledge of the sport is preferred.

Several private clubs hire beer cart attendants for the busy summer months.