Being employed as a student can positively or negatively impact academic performance, extracurricular participation and social experience. While I believe working as a student to be an overall positive contribution to the growth experienced during college, it does limit extracurricular and social opportunities.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, as of 2020, 40% of full-time undergraduate students and 74% of part-time undergraduate students were employed.
Managing social time, assignments for school, extracurriculars and work can feel like a balancing act. I often find myself turning down opportunities in order to maintain a reasonable load of commitments.
“I focus on getting a lot of my schoolwork done Monday nights and focus on labs and studying throughout the rest of the week. I very rarely do school stuff on the weekends because I end up too tired from working,” said Zachary West, a sophomore majoring in computer engineering.
Emily Elsbernd, a sophomore majoring in chemical engineering, said working has improved her academic productivity.
“Working makes me perform better academically because I have less time to procrastinate throughout the week,” Elsbernd said.
Allison Tew, a sophomore majoring in nursing, described the negative impact working two jobs has had on her academic career.
“My work puts a strain on my academics only due to sleep. I get plenty of time at my desk job to work on homework and study, so I don’t find myself short on time for those things,” Tew said. “However, I don’t have a lot of time to get a good night’s sleep, so I’m not an active participant in my classes.”
Completing classwork around my work schedule has greatly improved my ability to manage my time. Choosing to prioritize my success in school has prevented my work from having a large impact on my academic career. However, it often leaves me feeling rushed to turn in assignments that I feel could have been completed at a higher level had I had more time.
Working has not only affected Tew’s academic performance, but has also impacted her ability to spend time with family and friends.
“I constantly feel like I’m missing out on things because I work,” Tew said.
Elsbernd described how working has changed the way she socializes.
“I socialize a lot with my coworkers and close friends,” Elsbernd said. “Social activities often include study nights or exercise to meet my other needs while socializing.”
My work schedule has put the most strain on my ability to participate in extracurriculars. While my schedule allows me to be off of work early enough to still meet with friends, many extracurriculars have rigid schedules, making it impossible for me to regularly attend.
Prior to this semester, I worked between nine and 12 hours per week and rarely felt my work was causing me to miss opportunities. Now, working 28 hours per week, I face more challenges in finding time for extracurriculars and social activities.
Tew expressed a similar struggle.
“I don’t have any time to take on extracurricular activities. Not only would I have to fit it in my schedule, but I’d have to devote myself to more mental fatigue,” Tew said.
Elsbernd described the positive impact limited extracurricular participation has had on her.
“I’ve had to learn to pick and choose which extracurriculars I prioritize and build a schedule around that, and I’ve had to drop clubs because of work,” Elsbernd said. “Ultimately I don’t mind too much. It allows for better commitment to the clubs I am in.”
Like any other stage of life, the experience of working as a student is impacted by one’s choice in how they allocate their time.
While working as a student presents its own unique set of struggles, it also serves a unique purpose of building prioritization and time management skills while providing perspective.
“I think working as a student is a net positive,” West said. “I think it grounds my point of view and reminds me of the value and privilege that is getting a college education.”
