by Emma Riley Sutton

Created on: June 05, 2008   Last Updated: June 25, 2008

Odd jobs in college? I was a hooker when I was a student in college. At first, I was doing it for free, but I needed the money and this odd job was easy. I made money hand over fist for just a few minutes work. I wasn't a "traditional hooker" when I was a college student, though. That is the odd part. I wrote "hooks" for other college students who were having trouble writing essays for their classes. What is a "hook" and how was that an odd job for me to have as a college student? How did I make money with that odd job? Let me explain...

A "hook" is a word or phrase or maybe even a sentence in the first paragraph of an essay that sparks the reader's interest and makes the reader want to read the entire essay. An example of a hook is "I was a hooker in college." Didn't that make you want to read a little further to find out more about me and my odd job in college? Most people wouldn't tell others about "that odd job," yet I laid it out there for you in black and white. Curiosity got the best of you and you kept reading.

My professors and instructors would make comments in class about my hooks. The other students in the class would ask me about my hooks later. I would either tell them about the specific hook that was mentioned in class or let them read it for themselves. They were always asking me for suggestions and ideas about how they could hook their professors in the first paragraph of their essays. Word spread around campus about my strange talent and soon I was being approached by students that weren't in any of my classes. They would tell me the title or give me some general information about the essay they were writing and I would, off the cuff usually, throw out a line or two for them to use. I didn't even have to write it down.

I started "putting it out for free," but that got me thinking, "I'm in college. I'm almost always low on cash. How can I make some quick, easy money?" That is when I started charging the students. Please don't think I was writing their essays for them. I wasn't doing that at all. I wrote my own essays and I expected everyone else to do the same! I just gave them an idea to get them started and to keep their reader reading. I was amazed how much a student was willing to pay for just a few words.

I wasn't an evil, scheming opportunist when it came to being a hooker. I generally worked on a sliding scale. I could charge anywhere from between five dollars and twenty-five dollars, depending on the person and my immediate need for cash.

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