What I did during the last couple years of high school and throughout university was to do some jobs that I definitely didn't want to do for longer than a month, but where I was curious about "how they work from the inside". I did one-month stints at a fast-food chain, private tutoring for languages and math, cashier at a department store, and working in a bar, and short-term things like selling merchandise at big events. I also found two not-so-common opportunities through friends of friends (teaching in a bilingual summer camp, and helping with a TV program). The main criterium for me here was whether it was something I wanted to experience once (the bar paid much more than the fast-food chain, for example, but it didn't play any role in how long I was sticking with them).
I assume you're going to school in the US, so I'm not sure how much will be transferable from my experience being a CS/linguistics student in Germany, but FWIW: my other category of jobs was "helps gain professional experience in my chosen fields" (research assistant at university, part-time programming jobs at various companies) or "somewhere I can sit and study while being paid" (university library jobs FTW!).
Specifics:
Being a research assistant at my department was great because I ended up forging a good relationship with my professors, got involved with research at an early stage, could apply concepts I was learning, etc, so it was both fuzzies (everybody went for drinks at the end of a semester, for example) and more tangible benefits (when I needed some recommendation letters for a scholarship, everybody was very happy to give me one even though they were busy).
Finding part-time programming jobs outside was surprisingly easy - from what I know, it's much cheaper for German companies to employ students (you need to pay less benefits etc), so as long as you could write FizzBuzz you were already a net positive for them. Those jobs were the reason I was not completely lost at my first full-time job out of university.
I'm currently taking time off from school to focus on my eduction. I'm reading (a lot), mastering some skills, and finishing some projects.
It takes money to live, so I need money. I was considering what my options were for jobs that would keep me engaged, and I thought I'd ask LessWrong.
Constraints:
1. I don't yet have a bachelor's degree. I am however, an intelligent and courteous student at a prestigious university, who doesn't drink smoke or do drugs.
2. I need at least $800/month (500 for rent, internet, and bus fares; 150 for food; 150 for savings).
3. I'm looking for less than 16 hours a week, or the taking time off to focus on learning becomes sort of mute. However, that is on average; it is feasible for me to work many hours one week and than little to none the next.
Optimization criteria:
1. Something interesting, especially something where I would learn something new. This may come in all kinds of forms (for instance, puts me in close contact with the sorts of people I wouldn't usually talk to), including some that I haven't thought of yet. It may even be a new approach to a generic job that makes it challenging or engaging. Jobs that will let me just sit and read without distraction, or even just listen to audio books while I work, would be great.
2. The fewer hours I have to work, the better.
I'm currently running experiments (mostly surveys) for a decision research lab. The work itself a little boring, but I do get to spend some of my time around marketing Ph.d students who are interested in behavioral economics and I get paid $12/hour. It works, but I'm open to other options.
Any ideas?