Student employment: Is it worth it?
by Natalie Gould, Guest Reporter
When you started college, you may have been asked, "So, are you going to get a job?" I'm sure at some time every student has thought about whether getting a job would benefit or hinder him or her. It all comes down to which is more important, time or money.
For years, experts have studied whether college students having jobs is healthy or not and the effects having a job has on their schoolwork. According to Sebego Associates, fifty-seven percent of all college students have jobs; in addition, a study done in 2000 found that one in ten students has a full-time job as well as being enrolled in classes full-time.
The reasons more students have jobs now as opposed to a generation ago vary from student to student. For many, it is simply because the cost of education has risen dramatically. College Board stated that the cost of attending a college has risen five times faster than family income since 1981, leaving the responsibility of paying for college, many times, up to the student. For some students, it is simply they would like more money to spend, for others they are saving toward something. Whatever the reason may be, students seem to need more money now than they ever have before.
For years it has been speculated as to the benefits or hindrances of having a job while enrolled full-time in classes. But studies have proven time and time again that the benefits far outweigh the set backs of having a job. Vickie Hampton, an associate professor at Texas Tech University, says "students that have to contribute something toward their own education value it more. They tend to be better students. They tend to come to class. They tend to do their assignments. They tend to work up to their potential." There is some correlation between going to college and realizing there is responsibility and not everything is just handed to you in life. For the majority of students, there is a severe maturity shift that happens upon going to college and understanding it is time to grow up and become an adult.
However, having a job in college is not for everyone. For some it interferes greatly with studying and homework. For some it is even as extreme as dropping out of college completely and just working full-time because they are not enjoying the college experience. Working forty hours a week is taxing for any individual, but especially those who have a full class load on top of their jobs. Cutting back on the number of hours you work could relieve a lot of school stress. But if you really need the money to pay for your expenses, cutting back on your class hours is not a bad thing to do. To graduate in four years is an admirable thing to do, but the reality of it is more challenging than depicted in movies.
The key to being happy and successful in college is organization and money management. If you don't have to stress out about how you will pay off some of your expenses, you will be able to spend more time focusing on your homework. Adjust your schedule so it suits your needs. It's important to remember that just because you make more money does not mean you'll be happier. If you can budget the money you do have and stick to that budget, you will be just fine.
If you are interested in having a job, there are several options. There are work-study programs that the pay can go directly toward paying off your tuition and also have a minimal number of hours attached. Of course, if you are looking for more hours, you can get an off-campus job, many within walking distance of the campus. Whatever you decide to do, just remember to have fun and relax. "You're only in college for a small number of years," Hampton says. "It's not a permanent lifestyle."