I'm a shift at a cafe only store right off a major university. We start getting transfer requests almost a full semester before and some partners have been trying to get in our store for years. No joke, the last numbers I saw for just transfers were in the triple digits, with additional applications were current sitting at almost a thousand applicants for maybe 5-7 positions for fall semester.

Depending on your availability, finding a store a little farther away from the school may be better because everyone wants to get in the store closest to them, which as a freshman will most likely be inundated with transfer requests.

Our store only hires based on the semesters availability and my SM is extremely vocal to all partners working or wishing to start here about what he's looking for for the upcoming semester.

It honestly depends on your school schedule and how your new store is. I go to school in Utah and I love pushing myself in school but also the starbucks I work at in Utah is horrible compared to my store in California.

How hard freshman year is depends entirely on your university and your major. I'd reccomend seeing what your course load and work load for school are going to be like, then apply to nearby starbucks if you feel confident you'll have time and energy for it. College can be hard when just starting out, why overload yourself right at the beginning?

i just completed my first year and i was able to find a store to transfer to that i could work only weekends so about 12 hours a week. i think if u could find something like that it really was the best scenario for me.

It might be nice to start your freshman year without a job to worry about. You can focus on getting used to the course load, making friends, exploring your campus and city!

You can always reapply fo a Starbucks nearby once you feel settled. As long as you leave your current store in good standing, getting rehired should be easy.