To your average college student, free booze, weekly parties and body shots is the good life. To your average bar manager, that dream is a reality.

And while the thought of managing a bar may seem like a dream job, it presents a great deal of responsibility and planning that is often overlooked.

Shane Pauling has been an employee of Paddy’s Irish Pub, 124 Welch Ave., for the past six years.

He started off cleaning up his fair share of beer bottles and bathrooms until he finally worked his way up to manager.

“When I was a student here at Iowa State, one of my friends asked me if I needed a part-time job,” Pauling said.

“From then on I worked all the different jobs in the bar and eventually made it up to manager.”

Paddy’s Irish Pub is a mainstay bar among students that boasts something different than the usual dance clubs that litter Welch Avenue area.

“We have a huge seating area, along with a wide variety of drinks,” Pauling said. “Plus there is always the free popcorn and peanuts for everyone that comes in.”

But even before the kegs are tapped, the job of being a manager starts on Monday.

“My week usually starts with the schedule. I have to make sure we have enough employees to cover,” Pauling said.

“Then of course there is the maintenance – from the dart boards to the pool tables – there seems to be something that breaks down each week.”

Another challenging part of managing a bar is choosing which drinks will sell the best. He finds the ordering is sometimes the hardest aspect of the job, especially with beer.

Pauling will usually choose which brands to carry by what the companies recommend and word of mouth.

He said he tries to carry what everyone wants, but a line has to be drawn with some of the more obscure beers.

But even a company’s researched recommendation can sometimes be wrong.

“We decided to try this Sunset Wheat beer that had tested very well in Des Moines, so we offered it a bit cheaper than the other ones and it just didn’t sell,” he said. “Even in the end we were basically giving it away and still couldn’t get rid of it.”

Although there is some trial and error in the bar business, one thing that is a constant is the football weekends.

Pauling said during game days Paddy’s is packed with a variety of customers, from students to alumni.

“Game days are great, I usually go out to sports bars like Paddy’s after the game to hang out,” said Samuel Druvenga, junior in pre-business. “There is just something about the atmosphere that makes it a lot of fun.”

It is the atmosphere of good drinks and great people that Pauling feels is the key to Paddy’s success.

“With the free peanuts, popcorn and hot dogs combined with pool tables, shuffleboard and great music – Paddy’s is a great place to just come and hang out,” Pauling said. “We just try to make everyone happy. It’s a tough job but it’s also a fun one.”