Balancing Work and Academics in College: Why Do Students Working 10 to 19 Hours per Week Excel?

Abstract

Given that 74% of undergraduates work an average of 25.5 hours per week while going to school, we know surprisingly little about how off-campus employment affects undergraduates and to what extent its impact varies by the number of hours worked. Our survey of undergraduates at a small liberal arts college found that the academic performance of students who worked off-campus was comparable to nonworkers. Notably, the academic performance (greater hours studied and higher grades) of students who worked 10-19 hours per week was superior to all other students, working and nonworking. We suggest that the increase in performance is due to an optimal work-college balance that establishes structure and discipline not achieved by working too few or too many hours. Yet students must balance the benefits of organization and efficiency with increased stress and reduced time for socializing (noted among students working 10+ hours per week off-campus).Given that 74% of undergraduates work an average of 25.5 hours per week while going to school (NPSAS, 2000), we know surprisingly little about how off-campus employment affects undergraduates and to what extent its impact varies by the number of hours worked. As anxiety rises about escalating tuition costs and loan amounts (Boehner & McKeon, 2003;College Board, 2003), there are mounting concerns about whether fiscal pressures drive more students to work, which could adversely affect their performance in college. Intuitively, since time and energy are finite resources, one might expect off-campus jobs to detract from academic achievement and persistence to graduation (outcomes which are highly 107 Ó 2006, Baywood Publishing Co., Inc.

A Quasi-Experimental Investigation of How the Gates Millennium Scholars Program Is Related to College Students’ Time Use and Activities

“…According to the 2003-2004 National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey (NPSAS), more than two thirds of students at 4-year institutions are employed in on-or off-campus jobs while enrolled, with 23% working full-time and 47% working part-time. The main reasons often cited for working are the need for spending money, to finance basic living expenses, and to assist in paying their tuition (Dundes & Marx, 2006). Students also report that working offers a chance to identify future career options, enhance their interpersonal and time management skills, create networking opportunities, and connect to the society (Cheng & Alcantara, 2007).…”

The Moving Target: Student Financial Aid and Community College Student Retention

“…A large body of research has found that on-campus, part-time employment of 10-19 hours per week tends to have a positive influence on academic performance (Astin, 1975, Dundes & Marx, 2006. However, studies have shown that working long hours (more than 20/week) off-campus adversely impacts academic success, retention, and a student's ability to become involved with campus activities and engaged with faculty and peers (Ehrenberg & Sherman, 2008;Furr & Elling, 2000).…”

“…According to Dundes and Marx (2006), 38% of students in their study worked 20 or more hours per week in an effort just to pay tuition. Of the students who worked 20 or more hours per week, 82% did so just to meet basic living expenses.…”

Work intensity and non-completion of university: longitudinal approach and causal inference

“…Research on the work-dropping out connection tends to show that there is a U-shaped relationship between the likelihood of dropping out and the number of hours worked outside school, with a higher exit rate or poorer academic performance evidenced by both non-working students and by students whose hours of work pass a critical threshold. This U-shaped relationship is observed in the USA (Dundes and Marx 2006;Mortimer 2003, Riggert et al 2006Stern and Briggs 2001), in the UK (McKechnie and Hobbs 2001), in France (Beaupère et al 2007;Beffy, Fougère, and Maurel 2009;Bérail 2007) and in Canada (Bowlby and McMullen 2002;Bushnik 2003).…”