Studying is a very time-consuming task and adding a part-time job to the mix doesn’t help. Whether that time consumption has a positive, negative, or even no effect on students, is a different story. Studies show that the effect of part-time jobs on students is mainly determined by the number of hours they work. Students working more than 15-20 hours per week are negatively affected while students working less than 10-15 hours a week are affected positively. Let’s know more about How Do Part-Time Jobs Affect Students?
The Affects Part-Time Jobs Have On A Student’s GPA
Working part-time means dividing your attention between work and study. Students’ GPA scores are strongly affected by the number of hours they work per week: more than 20 hours per week have a lower GPA than that of students working less than 15 hours per week. On the contrary, students working 10-15 hours per week have experienced no effect on their academic performance.
The Affects Part-Time Jobs Have On The Mental Health Of Students
As if studying wasn’t stressful enough, taking on an extra responsibility can significantly increase a student’s stress level. This triggers negative side effects such as feeling overworked, putting a hold on their social lives, and a lack of participation in curricular activities.
Advantages of Having a Part-Time Job As A Student
- A Source of Income: This is one of the most common reasons students wish to obtain part-time jobs. Earning an income can help with tuition, accommodation, and other expenses. It will also generate some spending money.
- Learn How To Better Manage Money: Earning your own money means learning how to spend it wisely. It has more value to you when it’s something you have worked for, which helps you to plan and budget your finances much better.
- Develop Skills For Working Environments: Certain skills can only be learned with hands-on experience. Core skills such as organization, multi-tasking, work initiative, and meeting deadlines are all taught on the job.
- Gaining Networking Opportunities: Within a work environment, you will meet plenty of professionals, creating the opportunity to make connections and branch out, forming positive relationships which may benefit you in the future.
- Learn Better Time Management: Having to set time aside for both work and studies will push you to find a balance between the two.
- Gain Early Work Experience: The work you do part-time will add to your resume, allowing businesses who seek out candidates with work experience to notice you more immediately than those with no work experience.
Disadvantages of Having a Part-Time Job As A Student
- Time Is Scarce: Since most of your time goes to either your part-time job or studies, you rarely have time for social life and much less yourself. A lack of rest also leads to exhaustion, inevitably affecting the quality of your studies and work performance.
- Not Many Work Benefits: Full-time employees are guaranteed a set few benefits whereas part-time employees have none.
- No job security: When a company goes through a rough patch, part-timers are usually the first to go.
- Students Health: Taking care of yourself becomes trickier when you spend most of your time tending to your work and study obligations. Self-care is usually the first thing we neglect when trying to keep up with a very demanding schedule.
- An Increase In Stress: The most stressful time for any student is exam periods which demand more academic attention and focus. Most students who work part-time try to compensate for lost study time by staying up late, deteriorating the sleep they so desperately need. This may make their part-time job feel more like a burden.
Conclusion
The effect a part-time job has on a student is greatly determined by the time spent working and the balance that the student creates between work and study.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) What do teachers think about students working part-time?
The majority of teachers believe that students with part-time jobs are negatively affected in terms of academic performance. Very few teachers see students working a part-time job as something beneficial.
2) Should you get a part-time job as a student?
While many students have an assortment of reasons for acquiring a responsibility such as a part-time job, for instance, independence, extra spending money, paying off student loans, etc. Whatever the case may be, no student is obligated to work a part-time job. Keep in mind that some students need to pay their tuition and accommodation fees, leaving them little to no choice in the matter.
3) What are some part-time jobs for students?
Studies have shown that part-time jobs on campus had a more positive effect on students academically than part-time jobs that were off-campus
Jobs on campus: Tutor, Research assistant, Admin assistant, Teaching assistant, Receptionist.
Jobs off-campus: Foodservice worker, Au Pair, Dog walker, Shop assistant, Sales associate, Freelancer, Blogger.
