NIU Jobs & Careers

Look, NIU is definitely one of the more affordable colleges out there. But that doesn't mean that it's something you can pay for with a part-time job as people did in the 80s. Back in the day, you could work part-time and be able to cover ALL of your student living expenses, and then some. The cost of attending college nowadays has inflated roughly 161% since then.

Unfortunately, we don't have a time machine so you can go back in time to attend college in the 80s. While you may not be able to afford all of your expenses with a part-time minimum wage job, having one will definitely help you keep your student loan debt to a minimum.

The good news is that there are a ton of different job opportunities available near NIU in DeKalb to choose from, and a variety of avenues to find them. Try job searching on LinkedIn, Glassdoor, or the Huskies Get Hired job portal for NIU students. Every NIU student is assigned a Huskies Get Hired (HGH) account during their first semester on campus.

You can find common jobs like:

A Library Aide
Undergraduate Assistant
Recreation Center Attendant
And more!

Safety at Northern Illinois University

Living in a big city can be scary at times, but there are things you can do to help keep yourself safe. Here are a few things you can do to keep yourself safe at NIU:

Attend one of NIU's R.A.D. Self-Defense Training seminars to learn how to defend yourself.
Lock the doors and windows in your residence hall room, apartment or house. Don't prop open the door to your room or an exterior door.
Let your friends or roommates know where you are going and when you plan to be back. You can share your location with them or download a safety travel app like Noonlight.
If you have to walk alone at night, The Huskie Patrol will accompany you through the Walk Safe service.
Make a mental note of where all the emergency call boxes are on campus.
When you're out walking around DeKalb or on campus, always take the safest route, not the fastest route. You should also stay in well-lit areas, and always use sidewalks and crosswalks.

If you ever need help, the NIU Police Department can be found at 395 Wirtz Drive, DeKalb, IL, 60115, and can be reached at (815)-753-1212. If you are in an emergency situation, call 911.

Parking

For students currently enrolled at Northern Illinois University, you may purchase a parking permit online or at the Campus Parking Services. If you want to save yourself a bit of money, buy your pass online and you'll save $15. Students and faculty are allowed one to purchase one parking permit. There is only one way a student or faculty member is able to purchase two parking permits - one permit has to be for a car and the other permit is for a motorcycle.

When you search for parking on campus, it is your responsibility to pay close attention to parking signs and rules when parking on campus. NIU has the right to handle violations in accordance with State laws. This means that tickets that are incurred are the responsibility of the permit holder or the person whose name is on the vehicle registration card. To make sure you know where you can park with your pass, check out the NIU Main Campus Parking Pass Map by Campus Parking Services.

How to get around DeKalb

If you don't have your own car while living in DeKalb, getting around the NIU campus can still be pretty easy! There are a ton of different resources available to you to get from Point A to Point B.

Huskie Line is a free bus service to all active NIU students with a valid NIU OneCard. It serves the main campus, including classroom buildings, parking lots, offices and residence halls as well as routes heading off campus to local apartments, shopping centers, and food establishments. One route serves the Sycamore shopping areas as well.
During late-night hours, NIU also offers the Huskie Safe Line. The free service is available to NIU students, faculty and staff as well as community members with disabilities.
NIU offers a campus bike-sharing program. Red bicycles are parked across campus and can quickly and conveniently be rented by using a smartphone app available via the Apple Store or Google Play.
Ridesharing can be a bit pricey if you do it all the time - but it's definitely a convenient way to get around. DeKalb has both Lyft and Uber. To save money - download both apps and compare the route costs before scheduling a ride.
Carpool Connections is a free carpool service for commuting NIU students, faculty and staff to connect and share rides.

Things to do at Northern Illinois University

How do you want to remember your college experience in 15 years? Do you only want to think about how many stressful nights you had spent studying for exams, writing up huge papers, and carrying the whole weight of the team during a group project? Probably not. Sure, you'll definitely have a few nights like that - but there are so many other things you can do at NIU to make your college experience a good one.

Instead of spending the night binge-watching The Office, try:

Head into The Student Recreation center and go swimming, work up a sweat in a new fitness class, or join an intramural team.
There are a ton of different music, theatre, and dance performances and high-profile art exhibits held at the School of Theatre and Dance.
Show off your Huskie Spirit by cheering on your fellow student-athletes at different sporting events throughout the year.
Join a club or an organization! NIU has over 300 different student organizations and groups to choose from - so you'll be sure to find the right fit.

Things To Do Near DeKalb

Spending time getting involved on campus is a great way to keep busy, and make the most of your time at college. But sometimes you need to get away from the craziness of school to reset yourself. On days or nights when you've got nowhere to be and nothing to do, head into DeKalb to experience something new.

Depending on the day, or night, you want to have, there are tons of options for things to do in DeKalb like:

Play some arcade games at Star World's Arcade.
Depending on where they are in the season, you can go to Jonamac Orchard to pick yourself some apples.
Head over to Mardi Gras Lanes to try to improve your bowling game.
Do as Mackelmore would do and go thrift-shopping. DeKalb has a great thrift shop called Cracker Jax.